


The Red Light Accentuates Your Beauty Under The Moonlight

by Miscellaneous_M05



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Aged-Down Mark, Aged-Up Character(s), Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Asserted Dominance, Betrayal, Business, Cheating, Comfort, Deceit, Family Dynamics, Family Secrets, Flashbacks, Forbidden Love, Hospitalization, Hurt, Jealousy, M/M, Make Out Session, Manipulation, Mpreg, Mystery, One-Sided Love, Possessive Behavior, Prostitution, Restraint, Romance, Rough Sex, Slow Burn, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2019-11-06 06:23:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 25,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17934488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miscellaneous_M05/pseuds/Miscellaneous_M05
Summary: Mark is just a young preteen trying to understand the truth about his parents’ past.For his whole life, he couldn’t bring himself to believe the limited information he was given.That’s when he met someone who seemingly had all the answers to his questions and boy, there was a lot more to the whole story than he knew.





	1. Curiosity In The Essence

   It was a crisp, fall day in Chicago. It wasn’t that the day was dreary nor was it that strong cumulonimbus clouds were struck overhead. No, it was just a beautiful representation of autumn...the leaves were perfectly laid on the sidewalks filled with hues of orange and brown. In the air there was a strong scent of pumpkin and cinnamon spice that filled each individual’s nostrils. It was that feeling of fall where nostalgia hit everyone, the slow, steady days of lazing around, warming up, feeling toasty, feeling euphoric.

Twelve year old Mark Lee was running around his house like a madman. For a preteen boy, he sure had a lot of energy to spare. His bright smile could put anyone to shame with its distinct beauty. The crinkle of his bright eyes made it so that even the light couldn’t reflect his youth properly. Finally, he ran into the arms of a tall man, one who was dressed professionally and obviously came home from an exhausting day of work. Johnny Seo was his name and he was just a typical father.

“Hey son! How was school today?” his father inquired with a genuine smile.

“Good dad! Except...today everyone was having a conversation about their families, everyone talked about both of their parents. I couldn’t bring myself to say that I only have one dad and my other one isn’t in this world any longer,” Mark sighed as he started tearing up.

Only pictures and video footage is what Mark can recollect of his appa. Yeah, that’s what he called him. The tall man in front of him was dad, the man in the pictures that he couldn’t see anymore was papa. In fact, his appa died during labor, so Mark didn’t meet him at all. His dad wiped away the tears from his eyes.

“Don’t worry about it, Mark. Our family dynamic is how God wanted it. Even not being in this world anymore, your papa is still here, in our hearts, and he’s watching you. He’s probably very proud of how much you’ve grown up,” he smiled reassuringly.

“Dad...I think I’m old enough now to know the truth about appa. There has to be something about him that you haven’t told me. I just can’t believe the vague details you tell me anymore, I don’t believe your story about you meeting in a cafe, I feel like there’s more to all of this,” Mark explained.

“Taeyong...” Johnny thought back to that name. Those memories he shared with the name and the face it belonged to. Everything was more than special. Taeyong was the love of Johnny’s life, his true and only love. He was so dedicated to Taeyong that he allowed for their son Mark to take Taeyong’s last name. Sometimes Johnny can’t even look at Mark because their son took almost all of Taeyong’s exact features. The way his nose crinkles in frustration, his pure smile, his pout...they all resemble Taeyong. A memory flashed back to Johnny. “Don’t tell our son...it’s our promise...” the delicate voice echoed across his mind.

“Son, I’m telling you the complete truth, your appa and I never had an exciting love story. We met in simple circumstances and grew to develop our relationship into more than that over time. It’s that easy...nothing more happened, nothing less. He ended up passing away due to natural circumstances and unfortunately, you couldn’t meet him, there’s nothing more to understand,” Johnny firmly stated.

Mark was frustrated to say the least. He couldn’t BELIEVE how frustrating his dad could be. Mark sighed with defeat and walked upstairs. He ran to the attic, maybe he could find something there. He knew NOTHING about his appa except whatever small details his dad told him. His name was Taeyong Lee, he was the same age as dad, they met at a cafe when dad was visiting South Korea, they met up again and fell in love, married each other, and Taeyong moved with Johnny back to the United States. Then, Taeyong became pregnant and gave birth to Mark, which he died shortly afterwards, sending Johnny into a depressing spiral, which with support of family and friends, he was able to overcome his grief. The only picture all three of them have together is the baby photo of when Mark was JUST born. He knew he could find something, anything from the attic, everything that was of the past was hidden away there.

“Mark...are you okay?!” Johnny’s voice from downstairs rang with concern.

“Yeah dad, I’m fine, I need to do something,” Mark replied.

“Okay son, as long as you’re okay, I’ll call you down in a few hours for dinner!” Johnny shouted and there were no questions after that.

Mark continued to look around the attic, finding nothing. He was about to give up as he stopped on the floor, frustrated. It was then he heard a strange creek in the floorboards. This was suspicious to the young boy, so he checked around it and realized there was a knob. He twisted the knob was and it turned out to be a door compartment that opened with a hidden passageway of stairs. Mark went down the stairs and saw a large trunk sitting in the center of the empty space collecting dust. He tried to pry it open with his bare hands, which obviously was unsuccessful.

He looked around the floorboards until he conveniently found a key. He noticed the lock on the trunk and finally opened it. Mark peeked inside and noticed a plethora of things. There was a notebook filled with letters, pictures, names, so many memories all at once hidden away.

Mark picked up a photo with his fathers when they were much younger. For some reason appa had on way too much eye liner while dad was wearing a suit and he looked extremely nervous. It was taken at nighttime with a very unfamiliar background. He put the photo down and looked through the notebook. His eyes went wide...they were letters to dad from appa. The beautiful, delicate handwriting on each page looked preserved and ethereal. His appa was probably an amazing person who most likely had the most delicate job. Mark read one of the entries:

“Johnny,

I can name 1,000 things at the top of my head to tell you why I love and cherish you. I could kiss you countless times to tell you I’m yours. I would climb the highest mountain peak to simply scream your name and devote myself to you, my dedication for you exceeds that of any worshipper. I love you, I love you in ways that those three words become useless and meaningless. I want you to give up on me, I’m useless and not right for you...you know why, I’m only a burden on you...never again, for my sake.

~Taeyong”

Obviously the first letter meant nothing and whatever dispute his parents had was quickly resolved. It made sense because there were many more letters following and the most blatant reason: he EXISTS. Mark skimmed through a few more letters but he wasn’t gaining any proper answers, so he looked through a couple more photos. He noticed one photo that didn’t have both his fathers, instead it was his dad and another man, probably an old friend from college. He was very handsome, he had a beautiful smile with the most prominent dimples. Mark looked back at the letters and finally noticed one that seemed extra intriguing.

“Dear Johnny,

I know I’m still writing these lame letters but I just can’t help myself. I always write when I feel nervous, it’s better than biting my nails. I don’t know why, but before we officially are married I wanted to tell you...sometimes I feel guilty. For some reason, I always sense that I’m somehow taking you away from Jaehyun. I know you both are only best friends, but I’ve always felt that he’s been threatened by my presence. Sometimes I find myself not having the desire to go on...is this even right? I love you with all my heart, but what’s the point of us marrying each other if there are people who will just be unaccepting? We need to talk to each other about this.

~Taeyong”

Mark now was catching onto everything. These letters were written by appa while he was with dad and he would only write them to either plan the conversation he would have or to simply relieve stress. Maybe his appa was a calligrapher of some sort or he was into writing? Yet now the rest of the situation was also understood, Jaehyun was most likely the guy from the second picture and he played a large part in the whole dynamic. Dad never talked about any Jaehyun at all...this meant something huge. Something happened that Mark could not fully comprehend until he received proper answers.

He looked through more pictures and noticed how prominent this Jaehyun was. He seemed VERY close to dad. It seemed there was some sort of awkwardness in between, especially with pictures of the three of them that included appa. Finally, Mark spotted something...it was an address and attached to it was a note.

“Hey Johnny!

I know you probably never want to see me again...I really understand that. However, if you ever want to visit me, I’d love for you to come at any time. I’m settling down in my own home in America, I’m actually going to live in Chicago because my job office is transferring there. Things have been REALLY rough but please talk to me. We’re best friends, you can’t do this...please see me at some point. Any time. I’ll always be waiting for you.

-Jaehyun”

Mark looked down at the address and realized he HAD to see Jaehyun. It wasn’t even contemplation anymore, it was a willful decision. If his dad couldn’t tell him anything that was actually the truth, the real truth Mark had thrived to learn for years, then he would go to ask Jaehyun...the letter in question was sent years back, hopefully Jaehyun was still living in the same place. Mark recognized the address, it was a block away from his school, perfect. Mark took the letter and then left the attic, not before cleaning everything up. He ran to the living room only to see his dad reading a newspaper.

“DAD! My friend Donghyuck needs some help with some cleanup in his garage, so I’m going to head over to his place,” Mark stated.

Johnny looked up from the newspaper and smiled. “Okay son, just make sure you’re back in time for dinner,” he replied.

Mark instantly hopped onto his bicycle and rode to the address. He noticed one car in the parking space, so someone was home. Mark left his bike on a nearby bike rack and walked over to the house, ringing the doorbell in anticipation. The whole atmosphere fell silent but Mark didn’t mind. He waited a few seconds until the door finally creaked open.

Standing there was the same handsome man he recognized from the pictures. It was indeed Jaehyun. Jaehyun froze in place, he pushed his bangs back and blinked a couple times to make sure what he was seeing was true.

“A-Are you Mark? Y-You’re Johnny and...Taeyong’s son,” he inquired. Mark could hear the sorrow and disdain in his tone.

“Y-Yeah I am,” Mark responded awkwardly.

“So what are you doing here? How do you know who I am?” Jaehyun questioned suspiciously.

Mark sighed, knowing he had to tell the full truth. “So for my whole life, I never knew who my appa was. I’ve seen pictures and I’ve only gone by whatever dad told me. Today, we were talking about our families in school and I realized I’ve always had this burden, something that I’ve held inside myself that I’ve always wanted to know who my appa was. I just couldn’t bring myself to believe the dull love story about my parents meeting in some cafe. Then, I looked through the attic and I eventually found older letters and pictures which led me to you. I wanted to ask a favor of you...please sir, if you knew my parents, if my dad was your best friend, can you please tell me the truth? The whole story? I know you might not know every-“ Mark was interrupted.

“I do know everything...every single detail. I either witnessed the whole occurrence or Johnny told me about it all. I know your dad probably didn’t want to tell you anything for your own sake and I do feel as if it’s out of my position to tell you anything, but...you want to know. As their son, you have the right to know and I’ll gladly tell you, please come inside,” Jaehyun kindly insisted.

Mark walked into the plain, simple house. It seemed dull and depressing, probably due to the one person just residing there by himself. Mark sat at the couch but he piped up,”How do you trust me enough to tell I’m Johnny and Taeyong’s son?”

Jaehyun paused. “You look just like them both...” he trailed off. Jaehyun took a seat in one of the recliner chairs.

“Okay...so let me begin where it all started,” he stated.


	2. Vermilion Beloved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A flashback into the past explains some of the little details. Actually, it all comes together as fate would have it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am actually really shocked how much support I have received for just the first chapter! Thank you to everyone who is sticking around to read this, give it kudos, and bookmark it! I truly appreciate it and it really made my day!  
> This story could not be possible without my two best friends, so this is actually dedicated to them! They put the B and the A with my M, and that makes us something else! Anyways...back to the story!

[Flashback]

Johnny was exhausted. It was an insanely long flight from Chicago all the way to Seoul, but he had to endure it. It was under his mom’s orders since he needed to take over his family’s extremely successful computer software company and their main headquarters were located in Seoul. Johnny’s dad used to be the CEO until he passed away and now the burden was put on the fresh college graduate. With him was his best friend since childhood, Jaehyun. Jaehyun promised to always be by Johnny’s side and even gave his best friend the oath that he would be his business partner.

Jaehyun had moved to Connecticut at a young age and took a trip to Chicago, Illinois to visit some family friends one day, where he stumbled upon Johnny. However, his family only wanted to stay in America for a limited time and they had to go back to South Korea. Even so, their families noticed how the boys connected, so they both decided to keep in contact. Even when Jaehyun headed back, Johnny and Jaehyun called each other and video-chatted daily.

Fast forward, Jaehyun was able to reunite with Johnny in college and then stayed by his side all the way to the news of learning Johnny would be living in Seoul. This excited Jaehyun to no point, especially considering that he harbored secret feelings for his tall best friend. For the rest of the day, Johnny had adjusted to the new city, checked out the office, met important individuals, and then unpacked his belongings in the large, luxury apartment he would share with Jaehyun. After a long day, Jaehyun was ready to go to bed and call it a night, but Johnny simply wasn’t ready.

“I think I’m going to go out for a walk totake a breather,” Johnny stated as he left.

Johnny walked through the dark streets. Lights illuminated every part of the city, cascading off large signs and buildings. The large city bustled full of people during the night enchanted Johnny to no point. He continued to walk around until he realized he was lost. He honestly had no idea where he was and he was reckless enough to leave his phone at home. Johnny sighed and continued to walk, hoping maybe to find a familiar landmark.

It was then he realized he was in a very strange neighborhood. It wasn’t a pleasant nor a family friendly place. Then it hit him: he was walking through the red light district a.k.a. the pleasure district. He knew he had to be careful before he stumbled upon random sex-workers or prostitutes thinking he was some pervert wanting to have a quickie. He continued to wander around lit up streets containing sex shops, strip clubs, wandering prostitutes, and more. Johnny knew he needed to leave immediately, if only he had a sense of direction.

As he was walking he abruptly stopped in place. His eyes went wide as his mouth stood agape. In front of him, applying some lip gloss and wearing a very loose blouse was the most ethereal figure he’d ever seen. The man looked to be about his age with perfectly swept dyed pink hair and large strokes of eye-liner under his tired eyes. His tan skin gleamed with the street lights and his petite figure brought out his doe-like eyes, making them brighter. Johnny just couldn’t bring himself to believe someone so fragile and beautiful could be wandering around a red-light district. He kept staring at the man until the other looked up and his eyes went wide in fear and confusion. Johnny gave him a reassuring smile to convince the other male that he was of no harm. Johnny slowly walked over to him.

“W-What are you doing in a place like this?” Johnny foolishly inquired. The other scoffed.

“Hmm...in a red light district? What am I doing here? Wow you must be dense, well your Korean is kind of off in pronunciation, so I’m assuming you’re a foreigner? Anyways, I work in this district, is there a problem with that?” he sassily remarked.

“N-No! There’s nothing wrong with that! Not at all! I just couldn’t bring myself to believe it, you look like you’re my age, so I wouldn’t expect you to be a sex worker. Yeah, I am a foreigner, I just moved here from America to take over my dad’s old company,” Johnny replied.

The boy rolled his eyes. “Well isn’t that perfect? Let me guess, you don’t want any sex, you’re just lost and in need of directions?”

Johnny sheepishly nodded his head and soon discovered he couldn’t stop staring at the smaller male. There was something about him that was so unique, so alluring. He was soon snapped out of his trance and was able to tell the other his address, which the man gave thorough and quick directions.

“Thank you so much...it means a lot, what’s your name?” Johnny questioned.

The male curtly smiled. “Well I don’t usually give out my name, but you seem decent and kind of pathetic, so I guess I’ll just say it. It’s Taeyong, Lee Taeyong. What about you, your name?” he responded casually.

“Seo Youngho, but you can call me Johnny. It’s nice to meet you and thanks for the directions again! I hope to see you another time but before I go...why?” he had to ask.

“Why what?” Taeyong’s gaze turned narrow.

“Why are you working here? You’re a young adult who probably finished school, so why?” Johnny inquired.

“For a stranger, you ask a lot of questions. Not even the old ass perverts who make me suck them off ask any questions. Anyways, not everyone receives the same opportunities after completing school! Sometimes your surroundings and the people around you force you to do things to make some extra money! Now that I put that information through your thick skull, can you not interfere with MY life?” Taeyong angrily snapped.

Johnny was taken aback by the burst of rage. “I-I’m so sorry for being insensitive, I’ll be going now. Seriously, I didn’t mean to offend you. I was being genuine, though, I hope to see you again,” Johnny sadly smiled as he left.

When Johnny approached his apartment and opened the door, Jaehyun was already fast asleep. He went to his own bedroom and laid his head down on the pillow. Thoughts and images of Taeyong filled his mind. There was just something about him that made Johnny’s heart beat a little faster and made him feel flutters in his stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...Johnny and Taeyong finally meet. (You played it out real smooth, Johnny.) I wonder what other secrets will unfold?


	3. Carmine Reminiscence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth about Taeyong is a little more than what Johnny can handle. Jaehyun, on the other hand, finally feels the ugly green monster. Let me tell you, this chapter is ALL about the feels.

   The next day, Johnny awoke groggily, stretching his arms and yawning. He stood up from his bed and walked out of his bedroom to see Jaehyun sitting at the dining table.

“Hey dude, you overslept. Did everything go okay on your walk last night?” Jaehyun inquired.

Johnny’s eyes went wide realizing that he did indeed oversleep, but that wasn’t his problem. He looked back over at Jaehyun and bit his lip. This was his best friend, he told Jaehyun EVERYTHING. He never lied to him, at all. So he just had to tell him what happened the previous night. 

“I...I was lost and wandered into the wrong area,” he explained.

Jaehyun raised an eyebrow. “Um...what? Where could you have even went? There are not many places that you could wander-“ Oh. It hit Jaehyun like a freight train.

“Y-You stumbled upon the red-light district, didn’t you? Are you okay?! Did anyone offer anything to you? Please tell me you weren’t enticed,” Jaehyun was panicking at this point.

    Jaehyun worried not only for his secret love’s safety, but the burning jealousy inside himself that someone may have done something. Then again, Jaehyun was probably overthinking everything. No one could mess with a super tall, intimidating man...right?

Johnny shook his head to reassure Jaehyun that he was okay.“No! Nothing happened at all, don’t worry about it. Except...there was this guy. He’s our age and he’s a sex-worker...Jaehyun, I don’t know why but I feel so weird around him. I think he’s very handsome and he’s interesting,” Johnny stated.

Jaehyun felt his heart shatter instantly. The love of his life, the guy he secretly pined for since childhood was developing a crush? Not only that, but it was on some DIRTY STREET SEX-WORKER AFTER SEEING HIM ONCE?! Johnny was a smart guy, but Jaehyun knew he was SUPER dense when it came to his own emotions. He didn’t say anything until he looked back up to face Johnny.

“Ah...that’s something. Just be careful if you ever visit him again and always keep your guard up. You’re really strong, but you never know about...” Jaehyun trailed off.

“About what? Sex-workers? Jaehyun, they’re humans too. They’re just like you and I. Some of them work because they’re burdened with it or because they’re forced into it!” Johnny snapped. He thought back to Taeyong’s frustrated rant and then sighed,”Sorry Jaehyun, I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

“Nah, you’re good. I should’ve been more sensitive while talking about it. By the way, since you overslept, we couldn’t do training at our company, so I just told them the CEO, which is you, couldn’t make it in, so I left the head manager in charge,” Jaehyun changed the subject.

“Oh, thanks,” Johnny gave his endearing smile and Jaehyun could have sworn his heart was beating a mile per minute.

A few weeks went by and Johnny was steadily adjusting to Seoul. His job was going great with Jaehyun by his side, he called his mom every day to give her updates...and he saw Taeyong every night. They didn’t do anything, just casual small talk.

   First Johnny had apologized for his rude behavior the first time they met, but Taeyong wasn’t bothered. After that, they had this daily routine of Johnny visiting Taeyong at the same street corner at nighttime. One new change that Johnny had noticed was Taeyong sporting a new dye job, his hair was fiery red. However, the dilemma of even meeting Taeyong was that he cut their conversations short to...fulfill his job duties. 

   It killed Johnny on the inside, could he just take Taeyong into his home? He didn’t even know anything about the beautiful man except his name, his birthday, and his occupation. He could easily just...take Taeyong away from all the struggles, to never let him near the red-light district again if he had the money on him. His mother kept charge of all funds the company made and Johnny was not yet entrusted with any of the main profits. However, Johnny did not have the courage to suggest anything as Taeyong was so adamant to gaining needed money on his own. Why? Johnny wanted to know every little detail about Taeyong but he didn’t want to pry in on the shorter’s personal life.

One night, Johnny visited Taeyong and only saw the sight of the boy sitting on the hard ground with his knees bent and his head leaning down. He was obviously crying, badly. Johnny’s instincts rushed in and he ran to the boy in need. He wrapped his arms around Taeyong and Taeyong blinked his tear-filled eyes that made his eye liner runny. He looked up to see Johnny comforting him and Taeyong could feel warmth in his own heart.

“Johnny? I didn’t think you’d be here so soon,” Taeyong stated, trying to hide his pain by wiping his tears away.

“What happened? Tell. Me. Now.” Taeyong could hear the aggression and anger in Johnny’s voice, it scared him. However, the flood gates broke once again and Taeyong couldn’t stop crying.

“I-It’s not what you think. No one hurt me, don’t worry about it...it’s something else,” Taeyong explained.

“Then let it off your chest. You know it’s always better to tell others about any struggles you face. You should never handle challenges alone, I’m here for you, we’re friends, right?” Johnny inquired with a smile. Taeyong paused, but then sighed.

“Yeah, we are. I’ll tell you everything. So...I have a boyfriend named Ten...we’ve been together for over 3 years now, he’s the love of my life,” Taeyong explained.

Johnny could feel his own eyes becoming watery as his heart ached. His crush already had a beloved, but Johnny still listened on.

“A few months ago, Ten became gravely ill. He’s from Thailand, so he went back there just because he was homesick, he came back and his immune system was completely shattered. He caught some virus. He was experiencing such a horrible illness that he immediately had to be hospitalized. Here’s the thing, Ten didn’t have a family to go back to, no friends, he was on his own until we met here in college. We finished college together, both business graduates, taking different shifts at jobs to pay our fees, even bought our own apartment! Everything was perfect until Ten came back from that trip. I was disowned by my family when I came out to them, so I’m on my own too. Anyways, because of that, Ten was still bedridden in the hospital and paying the bills became much more costly. However, I still worked on it, I wanted Ten to become better so we could be reunited and maybe even marry each other! Yet...one day, it all changed. Ten had a distant uncle that REALLY fucked with the wrong people here and in turn, all those people went after Ten when that uncle passed away. Due to that, more heinous people became involved and they couldn’t stop threatening Ten. In turn, I couldn’t have jobs in the eyes of the public to be able to protect my Ten, who is so vulnerable. Then, I took up this job now at a local brothel for the fast money and the anonymity. Today, when I went to visit Ten, I discovered he’s now in a medically induced coma! Can you believe it? After working so hard, the love of my life is now in a COMA and I don’t know if he’ll ever wake up,” Taeyong cried.

Johnny could feel Taeyong’s pain radiating off of him as the man cried with the deepest sorrow and regrets. If only...if only Johnny could just kiss him and make it better. Johnny pined that he could give Taeyong the needed money, all he had to do was ask his mother...he could do that.

“So...what about you? What’s your story?” Taeyong inquired which caught Johnny off guard.

“M-Me? Well...like I told you before, I’m from the United States and I came here with my best friend to run the main headquarters of my dad’s tech company since he passed away. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, Neo Culture Technology?” Johnny stated.

Taeyong’s eyes went wide. “N-Neo Culture Technology? NCT?! That’s one of the most immense computer software companies in the world! Woah, you’re the real deal, every business and computer science graduate’s dream,” Taeyong marveled.

Johnny sheepishly smiled and looked away. “C-Can I please help you...I don’t want you doing this job anymore, you shouldn’t expose yourself to other people,” Johnny insisted.

Taeyong wiped away his leftover tears and sighed,”As much as I would LOVE to take you up on that offer, I can’t. Ten is still sick and those people are still out there. Plus, we’ve only known each other for a short amount of time, we haven’t established any trust with one another. I’ll do anything for Ten, but I can’t risk exposing myself which would let those people find him. I-I wish things could be different.” Taeyong pulled a picture out of his pocket, it was of him and a super attractive man next to him with the brightest smile.

“That’s Ten, the love of my life who I’m fighting so hard for,” Taeyong trailed off.

“H-He’s very handsome, I’m glad you have someone,” Johnny gave an endearing, forced smile. The man in the picture had neat black hair, flawless skin, and just a perfect face. He and Taeyong looked like they were soulmates.

Johnny stood up abruptly and Taeyong was thrown off guard. “T-Taeyong, I have to go, but if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to find me,” Johnny stated and before Taeyong could even react, he ran all the way back to his apartment, heartbroken.

[Flashback Over]

    ”Hey! Continue the story! You left off at such a critical point!” Mark whined. 

   “Kid, you have to go home, it’s going to become really dark soon. I’ll tell you what, I’ll continue the story another time. Just visit again,” Jaehyun casually replied. 

   Mark sighed and left Jaehyun’s home. Jaehyun plopped back down on the recliner chair and contemplated. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Johnny’s own son what happened AFTER Johnny came back home to the apartment. He closed his eyes, still remembering the vivid moment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters will be going back and forth from present day to a flashback, so stay tuned because Chapter 4 is when everything is going to be REALLY steamy.


	4. Shades of Blooming Passion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Mark leaves, Jaehyun ponders about his own vivid flashback. Johnny’s emotions at the time obviously clouded his judgement. Did he go a little too far?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was feeling happy and I had some free time so I decided to post another chapter. Two words...light smut. This is when the steamy moments start, be sure to tell me what you think!

[Flashback]

Johnny entered the apartment with a dazed look as he spotted Jaehyun sitting at the couch. Jaehyun’s expression faltered as he was about to stand up to check on him, but Johnny pushed him back down again. Jaehyun’s senses heightened in seconds, not sure how to react.

“Johnny are you-“ he couldn’t finish his statement as Johnny’s lips were against his.

Jaehyun tried to struggle out of Johnny’s grip as he knew his best friend was not in the right state of mind. He was taking his grief out by intimacy and it wasn’t right. Jaehyun, better than anyone, was completely aware of that. However, he’s dreamed of this moment for the longest time. Even with Johnny acting out on strong emotions, he still wanted this.

Jaehyun reciprocated the kiss, pulling Johnny closer by his shirt collar. Johnny’s hands slipped around his waist as he bit down on Jaehyun’s bottom lip.

The younger’s mouth opened up and he gave Johnny complete access to explore his mouth, their tongues fighting for dominance. Knowing he was melting under Johnny’s intimidation, Jaehyun let Johnny completely consume him. By the time Johnny let him go, a long trail of saliva connected from their mouths.

“Take off your shirt,” Johnny demanded in a deep tone.

Jaehyun, with no hesitation, started unbuttoning his top, revealing his toned, milky white skin like porcelain. Johnny licked his lips in intrigue as he noticed how red Jaehyun’s ears turned. He bit the other’s ear and nipped at it playfully.

“Aww is my baby feeling shy?” he teased which resulted in Jaehyun’s huffed breath.

Johnny started kissing Jaehyun’s neck sensually, taking his time to graze his canines against the sensitive skin. He licked the juncture between his neck and shoulder, biting down on the spot and sucking lightly, just enough to leave a faint mark. Jaehyun pushed his head back, moaning in an ecstatic state by all the pleasure that overwhelmed his body. Johnny started kissing down Jaehyun’s chest and even licked his pert nipples in a circular motion.

Johnny’s hand palmed Jaehyun’s clothed, erected cock as he let out a heavy breath. Almost immediately, Johnny zipped down Jaehyun’s pants and pulled his boxers down to his thighs, springing his hardened cock against his stomach. It was already dripping with a thick layer of pre-cum. Johnny used his hand to rub around the swollen tip, covering his own hand with Jaehyun’s cum.

“I was wondering if I should fuck you or not?” Johnny hummed.

“P-Please...” Jaehyun pleaded in a rough whisper.

“Not tonight...another time. For now, though...” Johnny trailed off.

He spread Jaehyun’s legs and positioned him so he had complete access to his anus. He experimentally placed his finger around the rim and pushed one in. Jaehyun winced at the harshness of the feeling, but Johnny’s finger filled him up almost completely.

Jaehyun put his head against Johnny’s shoulder as he moved around to push Johnny’s finger to find his prostate. Johnny instead added another finger and after a couple of minutes, Jaehyun’s eyes shot open.

“J-Johnny, t-there,” he managed to say. Johnny swiftly moved his fingers in and out of Jaehyun’s tight ass as Jaehyun moaned in delight.

“I-I’m going to...” before he could finish his statement, he cummed all over his stomach and onto Johnny’s shirt. Johnny pulled his fingers out of Jaehyun and looked down at him. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Johnny realized his actions.

“Jaehyun...I’m so sorry for doing that, I really didn’t...I was-“ Johnny couldn’t finish his sentence as Jaehyun cut him off.

“Calm down, Johnny. You weren’t in the right state of mind. I’ll always be your best friend, so remember that you can tell me anything. When you’re feeling a bit better, please talk to me,” Jaehyun stated all at once.

Johnny sheepishly smiled. “Thank you...also if you can, please try to forget about what just happened,” he awkwardly claimed.

“Don’t worry, it’s as if it didn’t happen at all,” Jaehyun responded.

Johnny then went into his own bedroom, leaving Jaehyun alone. He felt tears brimming at the corners of his eyes and he finally let it all out. All the pain, emotional instability, and feelings came out. He knew Johnny was probably thinking about the whore the whole time, he knew he didn’t have a chance. Those thoughts made Jaehyun internally crumble.

[Flashback Over]

Jaehyun sighed as he thought about every detail of that night. He stood up from his recliner chair and only then had the epiphany of his hard cock as he looked down at his tightened pants. He facepalmed in embarrassment, aware of how his powerful feelings for Johnny never died. His regrets filled his mind as at that point, he was only ready for Mark to be back and ask more questions the next day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As noticed, this story is going to be going back and forth a lot with flashbacks and present day, but it’ll all come together soon. Also, trust me...every ship that’s tagged WILL have steamy scenes eventually.


	5. Nightly Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark arrives back to his house and just can’t see his own father the same way anymore. He ponders on small thoughts.
> 
> Meanwhile, Johnny also contemplates every decision of the past, including one specific encounter between him and Taeyong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for no update of this yesterday! I don’t really have a set update schedule, but unless completely confirmed, it’s going to be random and most definitely weekend updates. I hope you all enjoy!

      Mark rode his bike all the way back to his house just in time. He looked at his own dad as if he was staring into the eyes of a complete stranger.

    It was sad, really. He didn’t know anything about either of his fathers and that was something he couldn’t accept. Yet he had to continue on pretending as if he was oblivious to the truth.

Mark didn’t look down upon the fact that his appa was a prostitute. No, in fact, it just made the story even more interesting. It made him want to truly explore the whole story more.

     Who was the real Lee Taeyong? What role did this Ten truly have in his life? Why was his dad so secretive about everything? Why wasn’t he talking to Jaehyun any longer? More and more questions piled on in his head until he was broken out of his trance by Johnny.

“Mark, did you finish helping out Donghyuck?” he inquired.

“Oh! I mean...no I didn’t. I have to go over again tomorrow. It’s a huge favor for him,” Mark quickly explained.

“Of course, I understand. I have to work late tomorrow anyways,” Johnny stated.

“Well okay dad, I’ll go to my room now, make sure to rest well,” Mark said as he quickly turned and went to his bedroom.

This left Johnny pondering on many thoughts. Usually, that’s what always happened. Johnny would be the one that would live in past, into the abundance of his own mind. He reflected on the harsh thoughts of back then, back when Taeyong was alive and everything had more meaning.

   Johnny sighed and also went to his own room, ready to sleep with unfulfilled choices.

[Flashback]

After Johnny’s awkward misstep with Jaehyun, he tried to put everything behind him and have their friendship go back to the way it was. It couldn’t have truly bothered Jaehyun, it was only a simple mistake!

     He continued throughout the time with his job and only wished to see Taeyong again. Of course Taeyong had Ten, but it wasn’t as if his feelings could fade away in seconds due to unreciprocated love.

That night, Johnny went to visit Taeyong again. It was the exact same spot of their meeting corner and Johnny looked over to see how ethereal Taeyong looked under the bright lights of the city reflected by the night sky.

Even if it was all trivial love at first sight, Johnny could keep reliving the moment where he first saw Taeyong standing at the corner. At that point, it was a routine he could never give up on.

    Taeyong was preoccupied, he had a book in his hands and was intently reading it. Finally, he closed the book and saw Johnny, giving him a comforting smile.

“Hey, you left so quickly last night, did something happen? Was it because I was being too honest with you? I shouldn’t have told you about Ten if you were feeling uncomfortable,” Taeyong sighed.

“No, of course not! I would never be bothered by you wanting to let your emotions out and talk about your lover! Personally, it’s amazing that you can confide in me and speak about him any time! I wasn’t feeling well so I had to go...” Johnny trailed off.

Taeyong hummed in response and continued to read his book. Johnny spotted the cover and he immediately recognized the book as Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. The novel was a classic romantic tale with many notable quotes.

“I love that book,” he piped up.

Taeyong looked up from the page he was reading and smiled in Johnny’s direction. “Seems like it. It’s a very passionate novel with so much depth and emotion all in it. I personally find it amazing,” Taeyong replied. “What’s your favorite line or notable quote from it?” he asked.

“Me? Well I haven’t read it in a long time but there was always a line that stuck to me. ‘It was not the thorn bending to the honeysuckles, but the honeysuckles embracing the thorn.’ I know the interpretations for that line were different, but I felt like it was relatable to life. Even if I don’t think of it from the book’s perspective, pretty much I can say that you have to endure the harshness no matter how gentle you are,” Johnny explained.

Taeyong’s eyes lit up. “Wow! That actually makes a lot of sense. It reminds me of something Ten would say... Actually, this novel is his own copy from his bookshelf. He always cherished classic literature,” Taeyong said in a quiet tone.

Johnny didn’t reply at all, instead, he looked at Taeyong twirling a piece of his fiery red hair with his finger as he intently continued to read. The sight brought his heart to ease, his mind felt cleared. Finally, Johnny asked him what his favorite line was as he read.

“I guess my favorite line is, ‘He shall never know I love him: and that, not because he's handsome, but because he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made out of, his and mine are the same.’ When I read this line, it brings a certain spark of interest to me. I don’t know why, but it just feels so important,” Taeyong specified.

Johnny’s mouth was agape as his eyes went wide. There was a certain ring to the sound of those words coming out of Taeyong’s mouth that brought Johnny indescribable joy.

   They’ve only known each other for a matter of weeks, barely even a few months, but each passing second reassured Johnny of his secret love for Taeyong.

“Do you like that line so much because of the emotional impact or does it simply remind you of someone?” Johnny inquired curiously.

Taeyong paused for a few seconds, holding the book to his chest and looking down at the ground. “I-It reminds me of someone,” he answered with a hushed tone.

Pushing it further, Johnny interrogated,”Do you think of Ten?”

“No. The line doesn’t remind me of Ten. He’s not the one that comes to mind,” Taeyong’s voice almost became monotone as each word left his mouth.

At that point, Johnny’s heart started to pang for acceptance, for the return of the shorter male’s feelings. Emotions filled into him at once but all he could display was emptiness defined by stoic expressions. However, Johnny didn’t expect for an answer to immediately be told.

“It’s you. Even in a matter of weeks, it’s as if I’ve known you for years. I did know from the first second how handsome you are, but I soon learned in short bursts of your significance. I know you don’t want to be with a tainted, filthy whore. I personally don’t know why I’m so disgusting, my lover is hospitalized yet all I can think about is how it would feel to have you hold me in your arms and let me feel alive again,” Taeyong confessed all at once.

Without even a word, Taeyong immediately stiffened as he felt the taller male wrap his arms around him in a tight embrace. After a few seconds of mental deliberation, Taeyong returned the loving embrace, never wanting to leave Johnny’s warmth of the chilly night.

    “You are not a filthy whore. Leave that horrible mindset. You’re a beautiful human being with so much to offer the world. You’re truly extraordinary, Taeyong. Don’t think you’re disgusting for having feelings for another...it happens for a reason,” Johnny stated. 

    Taeyong’s breath hitched, he felt Johnny’s lips against the corner of his mouth. Soon, he tilted his head and brought his lips to be completely given under by Johnny’s. Johnny’s hands cupped his face as he pulled Taeyong closer. His eyes fluttered shut, taking in the taste of Johnny’s mouth and letting the scent of his musky cologne linger in his presence for a little while.

“I don’t know if we should do this,” Taeyong stated.

“Isn’t impulse what drives some of the best decisions? Give me a chance,” Johnny pleaded as he rested his forehead on Taeyong’s shoulder. He was sinking down on his knees at that point.

“Yes,” was Taeyong’s short reply.

[Flashback Over]


	6. Harsh Figment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark can’t sleep at night as more questions need to be answered. Meanwhile, Johnny can’t sleep either, but a visit in his dream enlightens him and it’s just what he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to give an early update and I apologize for it being so short! This is slow burn so a lot of the action will come step by step. Later chapters will be must longer, depending on what point the story is at.

   Mark couldn’t go to sleep at all that night. Thoughts lingered in his mind how everything truly played out.

   Why were his parents’ pasts so difficult to comprehend? It actually bothered him a little. He looked over at the lion plushie near his night stand.

    Apparently, it was a gift from appa. As his dad would state, “He wanted his son to be as courageous as a lion.”

    Yet all Mark could think was how brave appa probably was having such a dangerous career, all in the name of his love for Ten.

Ten...was he still alive? Did he ever wake up from his coma? How did his appa break out of love for Ten?

     Many scenarios ran through the depths of his mind yet nothing was truly coming to him.

    After Jaehyun’s encounter of the meeting story, it only made Mark more perplexed but also more curious.

Meanwhile, Johnny also couldn’t sleep that night. He noticed how Mark’s mood seemed super off.

    He comprehended the psyche of his own son better than his own.

    Johnny slowly closed his eyes and only had a blurred image of Taeyong’s bright smile.

   His gentle voice echoed continuously in his mind, his soft lips against his skin.

Sometimes, when Johnny would drift off to sleep, Taeyong would visit him in his dreams.

      At first, he brushed it off as a coincidence, but his dead husband would continuously meet him in his sweet slumber.

    He could’ve just been a figment of Johnny’s imagination, but Johnny liked to believe it actually was Taeyong.

In his dream, he was wearing bright white clothes. He was out in a green field surrounded by heavy sunshine.

    Then, his angel appeared before him, Taeyong’s doe eyes ever so bright.

“Johnny, how have you been?” he inquired so sweetly.

Johnny ran to Taeyong and pulled him into an embrace.

   He could feel tears form around the corners of his eyes. “T-Taeyong, why did you have to leave?” he whispered.

“You ask this every time! Johnny, it’s just how the circumstances unfortunately happened. Anyways, I needed to tell you something,” Taeyong stated.

“I think you should talk to Mark. I know before I passed away I told you that our son should never know the truth about us, but that was just me being ashamed of myself. You need to be honest with him. He’s old enough to know the truth,” he explained.

Johnny’s expression dropped. “Where is this all coming from?” he inquired.

“Don’t ask me, ask him. Let’s just say, it’s better he knows from you than from another source...you’d hate to know what’s been going on, but...that’s not my right to speak on behalf of our son,” he answered.

With that, Taeyong’s image started to fade away from Johnny’s mind and he woke up abruptly.

    He was breathing heavily and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He needed time...but he would eventually tell Mark.

That’s all he needed, a little more of a push and definitely some hours of the day to contemplate.


	7. Stray Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next day rolls by and Mark goes to visit Jaehyun again to hear a little more about the past. 
> 
> Jaehyun, though, has his own revelation that brings back some past guilt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! This one is longer! As I was typing the title, I almost typed in Stray Kids since it’s kind of a habit. I love them so much just like I love NCT and BTS and EXO and...I need to stop. *Multifandom problems* Anyways, sorry about that, back to the story and it becomes really...spicy(not in the perverted sense, more in the angsty sense.)

     The next day, after school, knowing his dad was working late, Mark quickly texted Johnny to confirm his alibi that he’d be at Donghyuck’s house.

   On the other hand, Johnny was relieved he wouldn’t have to face Mark and decided to procrastinate telling him the truth.

    Mark, though, knew where he was headed...straight to Jaehyun’s house.

The door was left open for him as he walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch. Jaehyun came from the kitchen and was holding a tray of cookies.

“I was expecting your arrival, so I took the liberty of baking some treats, please help yourself,” Jaehyun smiled endearingly.

“Okay, thanks! Continue on with the story! So after dad left heartbroken he came home and...” Mark paused with emphasis.

Jaehyun’s eyes trailed to the ground. “I comforted him...” he stated, even though it was far from the truth.

    It wasn’t his right to explain to a prepubescent boy that he became intimate with Johnny only because Johnny needed his mind to linger away from Taeyong telling him about Ten.

“Okay...and then what?” Mark persisted.

“It was the next night soon after that, after everything was back to normal...Johnny was still in love with Taeyong. Even feeling heartbreak, he still loved him dearly. Then, Taeyong admitted he loved Johnny too,” Jaehyun explained.

Mark’s eyes went wide. “W-Wait...so dad and appa hooked up while appa was STILL with the Ten guy who was in the hospital in a coma?!” Mark was astonished.

“Yeah...” Jaehyun trailed off, a hint of sadness in his tone considering his own feelings for Johnny never died.

“That night, they kissed, and Johnny came home, he was so ecstatic. He was determined for Taeyong to leave his job but it was only the first night where they realized they had feelings for one another, so Johnny decided to hold off on any other drastic decisions,” Jaehyun explained.

“Okay and how did you react when dad told you the news?” Mark asked curiously.

“Let me tell you...” Jaehyun sighed, knowing he had to sum it all up for Mark but obviously leave out details such as his own feelings for Johnny.

[Flashback]

After Taeyong and Johnny’s embrace on the cool night, Taeyong had to leave for his nightly duties, much to Johnny’s dismay.

   They kissed each other one more time and bid each other farewell until their next encounter.

Johnny skipped all the way back to the apartment he shared with Jaehyun, his soul filling with glee.

     Johnny still felt awkward around Jaehyun, but it was nothing compared to the internal torment Jaehyun felt for the other.

“JAE! YOU CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!” Johnny exclaimed.

“What?” Jaehyun questioned.

“Taeyong, he returns my feelings! He loves me too! We even kissed!” Johnny smiled widely.

At that moment, Jaehyun’s heart shattered completely.

    “C-Congrats...” he stated, looking away from Johnny and preoccupying himself on his phone.

Johnny’s smile faltered. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy?” he inquired.

   In his mind, Jaehyun played out how he should continue the conversation.

   However, he eventually couldn’t keep his patience in check any longer.

    “TELL ME! HOW CAN I BE HAPPY? You’re asking me to cheer you on for what? Hooking up with some guy? A guy who’s already taken?! Johnny, don’t you have any morals? From what you told me, isn’t his BOYFRIEND hospitalized?! You’re being a home wrecker!” Jaehyun shouted.

Johnny blinked his eyes a couple times, Jaehyun never looked so frustrated.

   “I-I thought you’d be at least somewhat excited for me, you’re my best friend,” Johnny was shocked.

“I AM YOUR BEST FRIEND! That’s why I always support you and look out for you! Just tell me why you want to make such a risky decision?! For who, A FUCKING DISGUSTING, DIRTY, TAINTED STREET SIDE WHOR-“

Jaehyun couldn’t even finish his sentence as the slap across his face was much louder. It resonated for a while.

     The sting was so strong and the mark of Johnny’s hand imprinted his cheek, turning bright red.

    He gripped his cheek, flabbergasted as he stared up at Johnny. Johnny’s eyes were seething with rage.

“You’re an asshole! It’s one thing you misjudged him originally, but you can’t even think about anything but prestige and honor as you speak! Fucking hell, Jaehyun, you’re cruel. Yes, I know what I’m doing may be wrong in society’s eyes, but I love him and Taeyong proved that he loves me. Not you or anyone else can stop what’s already predestined. Don’t talk to me again until you can actually learn to have some common decency. By the way, next time you ever talk about Taeyong like that, I won’t hesitate to make you regret even speaking,” Johnny stated coldly with malice in his tone.

    He went into his own bedroom and slammed the door shut.

Jaehyun couldn’t understand anything. What happened? He was only being honest.

   He always looked out for Johnny. So why? What was so special about Taeyong? The slap simmered on his cheek and Jaehyun knew that something had to be done, anything.

    Even if it would take a little time, he wasn’t going to let Johnny be taken away from him.

[Flashback Over]

Mark was quiet for a few seconds. “You know, I can pick up signs pretty easily and obviously I know you left out some details. I think it’s pretty blatant why you were so angry and why you felt so vengeful, not towards dad, but to appa,” Mark said.

Jaehyun tried to laugh it off. “You and your imagination! It’s really not much to it, I was just an overprotective best friend!” Jaehyun forced a smile on his face.

“No. You had feelings for dad, didn’t you? Actually, the fact that you’re able to tell me this story right now and I can hear the pain in your voice says a lot. Do you still love him?” Mark questioned.

Without hesitation, knowing he was caught, Jaehyun answered, “Yes. I loved Johnny and I still do. For the longest time, since childhood, I’ve always loved him.”

“Mr. Jung, I don’t resent you for liking my dad. In fact, if I were in your position, I’d probably feel the same way. I’d be frustrated, angry, and all over the place. What dad did to you wasn’t right at all and it just goes to show that neither of my parents were the superheroes I thought them to be,” Mark stated.

“Mark, you’re really bright and understanding for a kid your age. I appreciate it, but when you hear the rest of the story...you won’t be taking my side for much longer,” Jaehyun warned him.

Mark looked at his phone quickly and checked the time. “I doubt that, you’re a great role model! I pretty much just met you but I can tell you’re such a cool guy and you seriously deserve the world,” Mark smiled as he picked up a cookie from the tray.

Mark left soon after that and Jaehyun sat still in his own silence.

    “He’s saying so many approving praises of me, but I’m a selfish bastard. That poor kid doesn’t even know how horrible I really am, how I don’t deserve Johnny at all...” he thought to himself in remorse as one stray tear rolled down his cheek.


	8. Gardenias

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny and Taeyong’s burning desires can’t hold up any longer, so they must act out on their passion.  
> Ten, though, doesn’t even realize what’s coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for such a late update for this story! Yet here it is, some Johnyong smut! Ten makes an appearance now as well...I wonder how it’ll play out? Another thing, I don’t know when I’ll update Virtuous(my other chaptered fanfic) since there’s a lot of unclear ideas for that. For now, though, I’ll focus on this story and my NCT university series!

[Flashback]

The next day, after Jaehyun and Johnny’s argument, neither one could properly face each other. In fact, it was so bad, even at the office everyone wondered why they were ignoring one another. Jaehyun felt betrayed and completely disgusted. He couldn’t stand the fact that Johnny was making horrible decisions for some street whore.

    Did Johnny even know what love was? It was apparent he didn’t, he couldn’t even comprehend the pain and sad longing and desire that came with such a complex emotion.

Meanwhile, Johnny was, as usual, excited to meet Taeyong. This time, though, Taeyong was the one that initiated their greeting. He wrapped his arms around Johnny’s neck and pulled him into a loving embrace.

“I missed you, all day I was thinking about you,” Taeyong pouted cutely.

Johnny flashed an endearing smile and cupped Taeyong’s cheeks, leaning in to give him a quick peck on the lips. Taeyong giggled and gave him another kiss back. They kept going back and forth teasing each other...until at one point, they couldn’t stop staring at each other. In fact, their eyes only focused deeply on the individual in front of them as their noses touched. This time, their kiss was slow, deep, and sensual. What felt like an eternity finally snapped them out of their trances as they let go at the same time.

“How’s Ten doing?” Johnny inquired.

“Great news! Ten is showing signs of progress in his health. This means that the doctors can stop giving him the strong doses of medication and he could be out of his medically induced soon...” Taeyong trailed off.

   He couldn’t even look Johnny in the eyes. Why did it feel like he was betraying Johnny instead of Ten?

“Ah...that’s good,” Johnny felt his heart pang, thinking about what would happen to him and Taeyong if Ten woke up. Johnny never thought of himself as the greatest human being, but even he knew thinking horrible thoughts about Ten was going too far.

“I-I don’t have any ‘appointments’ tonight. W-Would you like to come over to my apartment?” Taeyong inquired nervously.

Johnny jumped at the question. He was actually thrown off, yet he eventually responded. “Yes, I would love to,” Johnny replied.

“You might be wondering how I have an apartment even though I have to stay really low key. Well, I’ve had this apartment with Ten for a while, even before any of the problems started, so my home is still safe,” Taeyong stated.

Talking about some random topics for a bit, they both eventually reached a decent looking apartment complex. Johnny followed after Taeyong and eventually went inside, taking in the surroundings. It was clean and proper, not one messy spot in sight. Taeyong obviously took care of his home very well.

Johnny’s eyes scanned the pictures with Taeyong and Ten. He couldn’t help but feel a burning sensation in his chest of how badly he wanted to be apart of Taeyong’s life for longer instead. Eventually, Taeyong showed him around the rest of the apartment. They reached the bedroom and sat on the side of the bed.

They both were overwhelmed with the awkward silence between them. It was as if they had so much to say but nothing at all.

“Jaehyun and I aren’t talking right now. We argued...about you. He doesn’t like that I’m pursuing you and that you’re already taken,” Johnny sighed.

Taeyong pursed his lips yet gripped Johnny’s hand comfortingly. “I’m sorry I’m the reason for your conflict, I hope you both make up soon,” Taeyong stated.

“Gardenia...” Johnny mumbled.

“Huh?” Taeyong questioned, confused by Johnny’s random statement.

“You, you’re a gardenia. A flower represented by secret love, intuition, hope, purity, clarity, and self-reflection. I’m being honest, you’re perfect, Taeyong, perfect, I-“

Johnny couldn’t finish his sentence as Taeyong’s lips were pressed against his. The kiss was long lasting and filled with adoration. Johnny held Taeyong by his waist and pulled him closer. They let go, needing some time to regain their breaths. Once they were ready, they pressed their lips against each other’s again. Johnny consumed Taeyong’s sweet cherry taste, licking his lips as Taeyong opened his mouth for entry.

After a while, Johnny looked into Taeyong’s glossy, doe eyes which screamed for more. This made him ecstatic, he was receiving permission for them to finally consummate their love.

He leaned into Taeyong’s neck and nuzzled his nose for a few seconds. He then pulled back and kissed his sensitive skin, biting right under his ear. Taeyong gripped Johnny’s suit for support as he shut his eyes. Johnny was careful not to leave any marks. Taeyong reminded him of a porcelain doll that had to remain unmarked and unharmed.

He nipped at the skin again until he started to unbutton Taeyong’s shirt and pants. Those were discarded to the side. In retaliation, Taeyong stripped Johnny of his suit and tie. They looked at one another, only in their undergarments at that point. They had a silent, but mutual understanding that they wanted to take the next step.

Slowly, Johnny removed his and Taeyong’s boxers. He took in the whole sight of Taeyong and all he could think was,”Beautiful.”

That’s what he was, beautiful, charming, delicate in every way. They whispered words of reassurance to one another as Johnny took a condom from the drawer. Before he could place it on himself, he remembered to prep Taeyong.

He gently took some lubricant and spread it over his long fingers. Then, he inserted two at once into Taeyong’s entrance. He figured the other male could handle it as he seemed fiercely determined by his own means.

Taeyong covered his mouth to hide the lovely sounds omitting from his mouth. Noticing his embarrassment, Johnny pulled Taeyong’s hand away from his mouth and let him moan, melting under his small touch.

After Johnny thrusted his fingers until they hit Taeyong’s prostate, he removed them. Taeyong whined at the loss of contact, breathing lowly.

Johnny soon lined up his erected cock at Taeyong’s entrance and immediately entered it inside of him. At first, Taeyong couldn’t handle it so tears spilled from his eyes. Johnny reassured his lover everything would be okay and wiped his tears away, leaning in to kiss his cheeks. The last thing he wanted was to hurt his beloved. Then, Johnny started moving, unhurriedly pushing his cock further into Taeyong. The other male moaned with pleasure and delight, pulling Johnny by his neck and kissing him softly.

They continued for a while until they finally took turns to cum. The sheets were dirty, they were sweaty, but they knew what they did was right. Taeyong wrapped his naked body with one of the sheets and looked out the window. He took in the entirety of the night sky, the full moon glistening and bringing its light into the room. Johnny approached Taeyong and wrapped his arms around him, their silence speaking 1,000 words at once.

Days passed and their love affair continued as normal, but they were pursuing with more sexual intercourse than usual. With Taeyong’s convincing, he even made Johnny somewhat repair his friendship with Jaehyun. They longed for one another so much that Taeyong would risk even being seen in earlier hours of the day, taking on a new carefree attitude.

One late afternoon, they both stayed in after another proper love making session in Taeyong’s apartment. They found solace in each other’s arms as they cuddled for a while. However, without their knowledge, a miracle happened in the hospital.

Ten officially was awake from his coma. As the days had passed, he was showing signs of improvement. In fact, his health was back to normal, to the shock of the doctor’s. Taeyong didn’t know, though, as he was so engrossed in spending time with Johnny.

That same afternoon, Ten convinced his doctor to let him discharge himself. With some reluctance, but apparent signs that Ten was truly not sick any longer, the doctor allowed Ten to be discharged. Ten beamed with excitement, he couldn’t wait, thinking Taeyong was probably all alone in their apartment. Ten’s guilt consumed him, hating how he had to leave Taeyong all alone for the time, despising how he became sick. He sighed, took his prescription for medication from the doctor, and ran out of the hospital, hoping to surprise his beloved.

On his way home, he saw a flower shop and walked in. The worker at the front desk greeted him and asked if he was looking for anything in particular.

Ten looked around for a bit until his eyes became fixated on the most alluring flowers he had ever seen. They had pure, spotless white petals that gleamed in the surrounding light.

“I’ll take those!” Ten exclaimed. He realized, though, he didn’t have much money on him.

“Oh those? Those aren’t exactly for sale, I was about to throw them out, but if you really want them, go ahead, take them. I’ll give them to you for free, better than discarding them,” the cashier stated.

Ten grabbed the flowers, smiled, and thanked the worker. “What are they called?” Ten inquired curiously.

“Gardenias, they’re probably the most innocent and pure of representing symbolism when it comes to flowers,” the worker stated.

“Just like my Taeyong,” Ten thought to himself. He soon left the store, eager to reach the apartment.

Little did he know that the gardenias started losing their petals as he continued to walk. One by one, they slowly fell apart.

[Flashback Over]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and all the support!


	9. Tranquility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark visits Jaehyun again and decides to learn how the next part of his parents’ past unfolds. However, it seems a little TOO perfect and only indicates a new storm brewing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO THIS STORY REACHED ABOUT 1,000 HITS?! THAT IS INSANE! Thank you so much for taking your time to read this! I AM COMPLETELY GRATEFUL TO ALL OF YOU AND THERE IS A LOT MORE TO COVER! So, I decided to give the NEXT update today, thank you once again! Also be sure to read the end note!

    Mark wasn’t able to visit Jaehyun for a while even though the curiosity was killing him. In fact, he wondered why Jaehyun looked so distressed and guilty last time...what could he have done? How far could someone go in the name of love? Mark also felt like he wasn’t making any progress with his dad.

    Instead, after he found out about everything, he couldn’t even face his own father properly. He loved his dad, that was for sure. He even loved his appa. Yet as their past kept unfolding through the perspective of a third party, Mark just couldn’t believe how complex everything truly was.

At that point, he started making up more excuses to Johnny. He would say that he was staying after for some tutoring lessons or that he joined the choir club. It was a plethora of reasons, but Johnny believed them all. He trusted his own son, he didn’t expect anything off about his behavior. So, Mark took advantage of his workaholic father’s life style.

That afternoon, he went directly to Jaehyun’s house. He knocked on the door which was answered soon after. Jaehyun let Mark into the house and continued where they left off.

“So after Johnny and I stopped talking to each other for a while, I was grief stricken, filled with tons of anger. I learned soon after that...Taeyong and Johnny officially hooked up. I know it might be awkward hearing this about your parents but yeah, they consummated their relationship. Even with Taeyong’s supporting words to Johnny, the two of us made up. Even crazier, Ten eventually woke up from his coma. Everything I know is what Johnny eventually told me and well, there’s a lot to it,” Jaehyun explained.

“Mr. Jung, I already KNOW there is a lot to this story. I’m still willing to hear it out, no matter how gruesome, uncomfortable, or sexual it could be. I’ve made it clear from the start, I need to know everything because I know dad is too afraid to bring it up,” Mark answered.

“Okay...so as I was saying, Ten woke up from his coma and wanted to immediately discharge himself to surprise Taeyong. At that moment, your parents were at Taeyong’s apartment and they were...finishing up having some intimate time,” Jaehyun tried to say.

“Yikes, that’s crazy to think about,” Mark cringed.

“Oh, it’s a lot more complicated than that,” Jaehyun responded.

[Flashback]

As Ten was on his way home, holding the gardenias for Taeyong, at the same time, Johnny was putting his clothes back on. He gingerly kissed Taeyong’s forehead as Taeyong pleaded for him not to go. They were standing by the front door and holding each other in a tight embrace. Throwing both of them off, they noticed how someone was jiggling the doorknob. Taeyong released Johnny as his heart dropped. Who could be at the door?

Putting up some type of brave facade, he finally opened the door. He came face to face with his boyfriend, Ten. Ten had a beaming smile and instantly pulled Taeyong into a hug. He kissed his cheek and gave him a quick peck on the lips. He handed Taeyong the flowers, who put them down onto a table. Then, Ten looked up and noticed Johnny, who didn’t even bother to try and hide.

“W-Who is this?” Ten inquired with shock. He didn’t expect Taeyong to make new friends or anything while he was hospitalized. He even noticed Taeyong was only wearing a robe...should he have been worried?

“Ah...this is, um...” Taeyong paused, but Johnny quickly answered in his stead.

“I’m so sorry for the inconvenience, I’m his boss, Seo Youngho,” he stated.

Ten’s eyes went wide. “Wait, your name sounds familiar! WAIT A SECOND! You’re the CEO of NCT that took over your dad’s position? That computer software company, right? TAEYONG I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! You’re working so hard and you landed a job at a prestigious company even to risk our...privacy,” Ten trailed off in the euphemism he had between him and Taeyong.

Taeyong stared straight at Johnny with a look of guilt, shaking his head, unsure of how to react.

“Yes of course! Taeyong would always come in stressed, thinking about you, hoping you’d wake up. He’d confide in me and worker productivity and morale is important, so I’d help him out. Today I came over to inform him of a new assignment. I have to go now, see you tomorrow at work, Taeyong,” Johnny gave a small smile and soon left.

Ten wrapped his arms around Taeyong, holding him close. “My baby is working so hard, just to support us. I’m so happy for you that you’re putting your business degree to use,” Ten smiled.

Taeyong could only think to himself, “Ah how far that is from the truth...I’m just a prostitute who sells my body so I can have fast money and stay anonymous.”

“By the way, Taeyong, we don’t have to have any fear of hiding any longer. We can completely show ourselves to the public eye,” Ten continued.

Taeyong jumped in confusion. Weren’t there men after him and Ten? How did that all end?

“The main head of the group of men that were after us due to my uncle, DIED. He was taken down by some rival gang. After that, their whole operation and taking out whoever they tried to go after FAILED COMPLETELY. Their whole group now broke down and most of them were caught by the police. When I woke up from my coma, I was watching the news, and found out,” Ten ecstatically gleamed.

“I-I can’t believe it! That’s amazing, w-we can both stop worrying about problems that weren’t even ours to begin with? Oh Ten, I’m so-“ Before Taeyong could speak, Ten’s lips were pressed against his own.

Their lips collided as Taeyong eventually melted into the kiss, pulling his boyfriend closer by his hair. Ten grabbed Taeyong by the shoulders and deeply mixed their tastes with one another. Their tongues clashed as Ten took control. After so long, they finally tasted one another once more. However, Taeyong soon pulled away. The kiss just didn’t feel right, it lacked the spark and energy it used to have.

“Oh? You don’t want to continue? Oh right! You have work, I’m so sorry, with this great news I just went for it. I should start job hunting myself, I’m going to go freshen up and then meet you in bed,” Ten stated.

Taeyong sighed and eventually a text message came from Johnny. He checked his phone.

“Hey, I’m sorry about that quick lie, I just thought it was the most plausible one. Anyways, it made me think for a bit and instead of going home first, I decided to talk to your ‘madame’ or whatever she’s called. I paid her off so you don’t have to work as a prostitute any longer! You’re no longer under her services and you’re a free man. With that, I already checked your credentials and degree...I must say, it’s very impressive. I know this might be going too fast, but I actually want you to work at my company, we have a new job position opening up. Please come in tomorrow morning and just...check it out, I want you to think about it,” the text explained.

Taeyong held the phone close to his chest. Everything was happening all at once. First, Ten wakes up, then Johnny convinces Ten that Taeyong works at NCT, those men that were after them suddenly all weren’t a problem any longer, then Johnny helps Taeyong leave his job, and now he has an ACTUAL job offer? Everything was going TOO well, something was bound to happen.

Yet in the joy of the occasion, Taeyong replied to his lover. “Yes, I want to come in tomorrow for that job offer. Thank you so much for everything, I love you,” he responded.

A quick “I love you and goodnight” came in seconds later. Taeyong shut off his phone and walked towards the bedroom. Ten was already started to doze off so Taeyong put a blanket over the both of them. He cringed, remembering he didn’t even clean the sheets after his encounter with Johnny. At least Ten didn’t notice...and that was satisfying to Taeyong to some extent.

[Flashback Over]

“Wait, why did you stop?! Everything seemed so perfect, continue on with the story!” Mark pleaded.

“I am, I just have some soup on the stove that I need to check on. I’ll grab you a bowl, then I’ll continue to the story,” Jaehyun responded.

Mark hummed in response. Jaehyun contemplated telling Mark the rest of the events, especially considering his own foolish mistakes would come to light. Yet...he felt obligated to. He already expected that it was going to be a very long afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So random moment today: I taught my 4 year old cousin the names of all the NCT members and she remembered Johnny, Lucas, Jungwoo, and Kun after a few seconds?! I’m so proud! Anyways, if you haven’t guessed already, my bias of NCT is Johnny and my bias wrecker is Jaehyun. I’m curious about all of you, who is your bias and bias wrecker? I insist you comment your responses, I’d love to get to know you guys more and even what you think about the direction this story is headed! Thank you!


	10. Deceit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaehyun continues to tell Mark the story, where Taeyong arrives at Johnny’s office for his interview, hoping things will turn out well. On the other hand, Jaehyun’s reaction makes Taeyong realize an obvious fact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! This one has TaeTen smut, so that’s always fun. This story is really going to start kicking into full gear soon, so stay updated! Anyone else really intrigued by Johnny’s hair in Wakey Wakey? I am DEFINITELY incorporating that wig somehow in one of my writings! Another thing, Stray Kids’s new song is AMAZING! Anyways, back to the story!

     Jaehyun arrived back into the living room with a steaming hot bowl of soup. He set it down on the table and Mark quickly jumped to indulge in it, taking in its perfect taste.

“Mr. Jung, this is amazing! It’s even better than your cookies from last time!” Mark exclaimed.

“Hah, thanks. I do try to make my food as best as I can. Then again, I’m lonely, so no one has ever really praised it before,” Jaehyun silently trailed off.

“Ah...yeah, so to break this awkwardness, can you please continue with the story?” Mark inquired.

“Of course,” Jaehyun replied hesitantly as he continued.

[Flashback]

Before Taeyong went to bed, he decided to give his fiery red hair a new dye job. He went back to having regular black hair as it wouldn’t look appropriate in the office otherwise. Once he was satisfied with his results, he slipped into bed next to an already asleep Ten. He sighed and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Taeyong woke up much earlier than anticipated. He hopped into the shower, made himself presentable, and slipped on a formal office suit. He quickly made some breakfast for Ten and ran out of the house. He gave Johnny a quick text and took a bus to the office building.

Taeyong marveled at the sight of the building in front of him, it was so high he couldn’t even see the top. He walked in with a shaky breath. He approached the main desk and the secretary gave him a dirty glare. Hopefully Johnny handled everything like he was supposed to.

“Who are you? Do you have an appointment? Mr. Seo is very busy and doesn’t take walk-ins,” the young male stated.

“I-I’m Lee Taeyong, I’m here for the job opening,” he replied.

The secretary looked at the computer screen for a couple seconds and looked back up at Taeyong. “Yeah, okay, you’re on time, go down this hallway and it’s the first door on the right,” the secretary explained.

“Ah thank you...” Taeyong trailed off.

“Taeil. Just call me Taeil,” the male said and went back to his work.

Taeyong walked to the room that he was told to arrive at and finally, he took a deep breath and opened the door. He looked around the office setting it only omitted comfort. The blue walls brought a sense of security and tranquility.

Then, his eyes met the one person he was anticipating to see, Johnny. He slammed the door behind him and ran into his lover’s arms. Tears soon formed in the corner of his eyes, grateful for everything Johnny has done for him.

“Ah, you have natural black hair again? It suits you well,” Johnny flashed a grin.

“Yeah, I have to be appropriate in the office,” Taeyong replied sincerely.

“Of course! So did you bring your resume and degree?” Johnny inquired.

Taeyong pulled out the necessities and Johnny reviewed them for a bit. Then, he smiled. “Wow, your skill set is actually pretty impressive and your degree is legit too,” Johnny marveled.

“Yeah...before I went into...those duties, I pushed myself really hard for that business degree,” Taeyong explained.

“Well. I want to give you the-“ Before he could finish his statement, Jaehyun walked in. His eyes went wide but they soon softened.

“Ah, is this one of the applicants for yourpersonal secretary position?” Jaehyun questioned.

“Yes, he is,” Johnny casually replied. Should he mention Taeyong by name? Jaehyun never had seen Taeyong, so he could play it off, right? Even though Jaehyun and him made amends, he still felt like his best friend’s disapproving nature would show. Yet before he could even react, Taeyong already spoke up.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Jung. I’m Lee Taeyong,” he stated casually. Taeyong was aware that Jaehyun was slightly disapproving but he didn’t want any more lies or deceitfulness to be played off for the time being.

At that moment, Jaehyun’s gaze darkened and his expression soured. “Youngho, what is a stupid whore doing in our company? Throw this piece of trash outside, where it belongs,” Jaehyun condescendingly sneered.

Taeyong’s heart dropped. He knew Johnny and Jaehyun were having problems because of him, but he didn’t think it was that bad. He felt ashamed and disgusted with himself and tears filled at the brim of eyes.

Right before he could even react, Johnny had jumped up from his desk and abruptly stood tall in front of Jaehyun. He was about to bring his hand down to smack the other, but Jaehyun grabbed his hand just in time.

“That type of shit won’t work this time,” Jaehyun warned.

“Yoonoh, stop it! What is your problem? Taeyong is not a sex worker any longer and if you see his degree, you can tell he is MORE than qualified for the job. Why are you acting like this, it makes me think you’re in love with me or something!” Johnny exclaimed, the last part coming off more as a joke to the taller male.

Taeyong quickly noticed how Jaehyun’s expression shifted and his eyes went wide. He could see the hurt in them. From what Johnny told Taeyong about Jaehyun, he was only aware of them being childhood friends. Yet to Jaehyun, it was much more. Even if Johnny couldn’t notice it, Taeyong did. Jaehyun was certainly in love with Johnny.

“Fine, you can keep the prostitute as your secretary, I don’t give a fuck. Just keep this useless piece of garbage out of my sight,” Jaehyun continued yet Taeyong could sense the misery in his voice. He pitied him. Jaehyun soon left Johnny’s office after that, slamming the door shut.

Johnny quickly called in Taeil to inform him that the job post was now occupied and for him to submit Taeyong’s information into their system. With a confirmatory nod, Taeil went back to his desk, leaving Taeyong and Johnny alone once more.

Taeyong was speechless, even if a word could leave his mouth, he personally didn’t want to. Taeyong loved Johnny too, so a part of him was hesitant to even try and tell Johnny of Jaehyun’s obvious affection. Without his notice, Johnny was standing in front of him and pulled his head up by his chin. They were now looking straight at one another with longing.

“You look too handsome in a suit and natural lighting, much better than the eye liner and the red light you would always stand under,” Johnny complimented.

Even though Taeyong didn’t want to think about his time as a sex worker, without it, he would’ve never met Johnny. In a twisted way, that occupation did hold dear to his heart because it brought Johnny into his life. He smiled at his lover.

“Okay so can you show me around, tell me what to do, anything? You’re my boss now, we have to act more professional,” Taeyong stated.

“Yeah yeah, I’ll call someone in and after you’re shown around the place, I’ll give you your first task of filing some of my paperwork,” Johnny answered.

“Of course, sir,” Taeyong replied. Johnny flinched instantly. Something about Taeyong calling him sir made him shiver and almost instinctively made him want to pin the other down and take him right then and there. Yet he couldn’t, they were at work and it wouldn’t be fair to Taeyong, so Johnny suppressed his urges.

The work day flew by quickly and Taeyong adjusted very well to his new work environment. He was relieved, albeit Jaehyun gave him dirty, angry stares which Taeyong ignored entirely.

Before Taeyong went to catch a bus home, Johnny tugged on his arm and pulled him close. They kissed one another lightly.

“Jaehyun is going to be working overtime to check out some of our finances...do you want to come back to my apartment with me?” Johnny inquired, blatantly with an underlying message there.

“Ten is probably waiting for me, I can’t. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Taeyong replied, kissing him once again and catching the bus just in time, even before Johnny could try and convince him otherwise.

Taeyong fumbled with the keys to his apartment and eventually opened the door. His boyfriend was sitting on the couch and drinking some tea, waiting for him. Taeyong took a seat next to his boyfriend and they greeted each other.

“How was work?” Ten questioned.

“Good, busy, I had a lot paperwork to file today. How was job hunting?” Taeyong inquired.

“Amazing! I had such an impressive interview with that finance firm, Nakamoto & Qian! They want to give me a shot, so I’m going to start working there next week!” Ten excitedly exclaimed.

Taeyong’s eyes beamed,”Congratulations! I’m so proud of you!”

“How about we...celebrate?” Ten suggested.

“Ah...do you want to go out for dinner?” Taeyong chuckled.

“No, silly. I just woke up from a coma and I haven’t been able to touch you in a while, how about it?” Ten offered.

“Y-Yes, of course,” Taeyong replied softly.

Ten turned his face and captured Taeyong’s lips, pressing against them harshly. Taeyong was compliant, reciprocating the kiss. Ten bit down on his bottom lip after tracing his tongue over the softness. Taeyong opened his mouth slightly as Ten’s tongue mingled with his own. He licked around and explored every part of Taeyong’s mouth and finally pushed him down on the couch. Ten gripped Taeyong’s wrists, pinning them above his head.

With his other hand, he started to unbutton Taeyong’s shirt and took off his tie, wrapping it around Taeyong’s wrists. With no control of his hands, Taeyong squirmed under Ten’s touch. Ten licked Taeyong’s jawline and moved down to kiss his neck and chest. When he felt Ten start to bite at his skin, Taeyong was out of his trance.

“Ten, no! People are going to see at work,” Taeyong whined.

“Let them, I want everyone in your office to know that you’re mine, especially that boss of yours,” Ten scowled.

“Are you jealous? You know you don’t have to be. You seemed to handle it well yesterday,” Taeyong sighed.

“I wanted to show good hospitality, I didn’t want to look like a rude asshole. I just came out of the hospital and the most important thing on my mind was seeing you. It’s just that your boss being at our apartment was a little strange to me and he’s handsome too, so I was a little threatened by his presence,” Ten pouted.

“Aww, don’t worry, he’s not going to steal me away. I’m only yours,” Taeyong replied. Personally, he felt like shit lying to Ten like that. The fact that Ten’s worries were actually true made Taeyong feel horrible, yet he couldn’t just tell Ten of his own misdeeds.

Ten smiled and kissed Taeyong once more. He licked his collarbones and bit down, leaving a prominent mark. Ten bit down on Taeyong’s shoulder, eliciting a moan from him. This made Ten’s half erected cock twitch. He stopped at Taeyong’s chest and licked his perked nipples, biting down on it. The sensitivity made Taeyong tremble.

“A-Ah, Ten, please be careful,” Taeyong moaned loudly.

Ten smirked and unzipped Taeyong’s pants, pulling them down along with his boxers. Taeyong felt completely vulnerable now, exposed, and aroused. Ten’s predatory gaze on him didn’t help at all, it only made the shivers increase.

“T-Ten, please make sure to have protection on, you don’t want me to become pregnant,” Taeyong pleaded.

“What if I do though? I want to completely fill you with my seed and make sure to put my baby inside of you,” Ten challenged him.

“Please, we’re not ready yet,” Taeyong stated. It wasn’t only that, but Taeyong was certain he was seeing a future having Johnny’s child. Ten just wasn’t in his fantasies any longer.

“Of course, love. I’ll do anything to make you happy,” Ten replied with a genuine tone.

Ten removed his own clothing in a matter of seconds and scanned Taeyong’sbody. Everything about him was beautiful and it only enticed Ten some more. He caressed Taeyong’s cheek before using his other hand to line his fingers with Taeyong’s tight hole. He hitched his breath, waiting for Ten to fill him.

Ten’s intricate touch was prevalent as he placing two fingers inside Taeyong at once. He scissored his fingers, opening Taeyong up more as he finally found his prostate. He hit the spot over and over with his fingers, making Taeyong cry in ecstasy.

Ten pulled his fingers out of Taeyong and took his hand, rubbing the head of his own cock for it to harden more. Then, he took a condom from a nightstand nearby and rolled it over. He lined his cock up near Taeyong’s entrance and slowly pushed it inside of him. The pain was unbearable, even though only a few days ago he had sex with Johnny. He pushed his head back and his breaths became uneven as he heard Ten’s groans.

Ten started thrusting with more speed, hitting his prostate continuously until he released in the condom. He pulled out after a few seconds, disposing of the condom soon after. Noticing how red and erected Taeyong’s dick was, Ten jerked him off until he released over his abdomen. Ten then took the tie off of Taeyong’s wrists, freeing his movement. They looked at one another longingly as Ten kissed Taeyong’s hand.

“I love you, Taeyong. I love you so so much. You belong to only me, everything about you belongs to me, understood?” Ten asked with a soft tone.

“Y-Yes, I love you too,” Taeyong replied with not as much emotion. Taeyong had noticed how much Ten had changed. He was definitely more possessive, but that was probably because they were both separated for a while.

“Oh yeah, I never noticed, you just dyed your hair black, why is that?” Ten inquired suspiciously.

“Well it wouldn’t have been appropriate in the office if I had any other color,” Taeyong casually responded.

“Oh yeah...but your hair was red yesterday. You’ve been working in the same office, right? So how was itappropriate before but not now?” Ten asked, pushing the question further.

Taeyong realized he slipped up, he should’ve been more careful. Ten was always perceptive. “I meant it stopped being appropriate to me. I only tried the red dye for a week or two, yet I don’t really like it personally, so I decided to dye my hair black again,” he quickly replied.

Ten’s gaze sharpened but he dismissed it. “Okay...just curious,” he answered.

Ten held Taeyong in his arms for a while before they moved to their bedroom. Ten eventually dozed off. When he noticed Ten was asleep, he pulled a notebook out and started writing. It was directly letters to Johnny that he’d never actually give him. Those letters were just so he could write his emotions out on paper. After writing an entry, he slipped the notebook under the bed and went to sleep.

Meanwhile, after working some extra hours, Jaehyun finally made it back to his and Johnny’s apartment. To his surprise, Johnny was waiting for him.

“Jaehyun, I know you don’t like Taeyong because he’s not of high class, but please give him a chance. He’s an amazing worker and he doesn’t give up!” Johnny said.

“That’s not the reason why I don’t like Taeyong, I could care less what class he’s part of. It’s another reason, it’s just something I’m not that comfortable to discuss...” Jaehyun trailed off.

Blocking out anything else Johnny said, Jaehyun ran to his room and slammed the door shut. He pounded his head against the wall and frustration filled him.

“I hate that bastard so much, I want him gone, I NEED him gone. I wish Johnny could just be mine,” Jaehyun contemplated.

[Flashback Over]

Mark’s gaze lingered at Jaehyun for a little while. He noticed the older male had an ashamed look on his face, as if he was trying to dodge some obvious fact.

“You seem uncomfortable, maybe I should go,” Mark suggested.

“N-No, I’m okay, I just need a break for a few minutes. Feel free to help yourself to some more soup. I’ll continue the story after I’m back,” Jaehyun explained as he ran upstairs, guilt eating away at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for continuing to read this and give it support, I always appreciate it!


	11. Imperceptive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the time, Taeyong didn’t realize anything was wrong. Then about two weeks had passed and something felt off. He was showing more signs of sickness, he was tired, and even irritable. Taeyong’s heart dropped as only one thought ran across his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here’s another update. WARNING: This is REALLY sad and some of the themes mentioned are a little too...controversial. The way I wrote this story was that not everyone is good, not everyone is evil. We all make mistakes and sometimes, we go to the EXTREMES. It’s very much reflected by this chapter, and I don’t condone any of these actions that occurred, they are all horrendous. Remember, even if you’re angry, think if something is justifiable or not. This was only used for plot progression. Sometimes, we become so blinded by anger and jealousy we can do horrible things without any immediate reprocussions. However, we end up regretting a lot in the long run. Tell me what you think, I’d be happy to hear anyone out. Thank you!

      Jaehyun threw cold water on his face and slowly came to the realization of how much of a monster he truly was. He deserved only death. He combed his hand through his soft locks and laughed.

    The laugh was filled with remorse and broken sounds of denial. When he looked back up at his bathroom mirror, he could see the tear troughs prominent under his eyes, thick, indicating his lack of sleep. He sighed, looked at the mirror one more time, and finally went back downstairs.

There he saw Mark preoccupied on his phone, not even aware of his surroundings whatsoever. It was as if the boy was lost in his own world, thoughts lingering of circumstance and unfulfilled promises.

   Jaehyun cleared his throat and Mark put his phone back into his pocket. Jaehyun sat down on his recliner chair as Mark’s gaze became attentive, ready to hear more.

Yet before Jaehyun continued, he asked, “H-How has Johnny been recently?”

Mark blinked a couple times but then gave a warm smile. “Dad is still distant and cut off from everyone else. He tries to put an effort, he really does, but he’s always so busy in his work. I’ve been a latch-key kid since I was born basically. I feel horrible, though, because dad still doesn’t tell me anything and he doesn’t even have any social life. He barely even talks to his own co-workers. We only talk for a few minutes or so before I run off to my own room and vice versa. Even though I’ve always done amazing in school, he doesn’t even come to parent-teacher conferences just to hear good things. He’d rather send an occasional email just to be updated once a year on my progress in school. I-I wish appa was around, like A LOT. I really wish I properly met him and that he was still alive. Yet he’s not...it’s sad to say that the most solace and comfort I’ve received from a parent has been from you, Mr. Jung,” Mark replied.

Jaehyun’s mouth was agape and he felt even SHITTIER. Mark deserved the world and no one ever gave it to him. “P-Please don’t say anything like that about me. I’m a horrible person and I know for a fact I don’t deserve to be given the title of even like a parent. I’m sorry for everything you have to endure, but I am telling you right now, that I really am an animal,” he warned.

“But that was all the past! I told you from the start the only thing important to me is the truth and that’s really all that I want! I really could care less about anything else!” Mark was adamant.

“Okay...let me continue then,” Jaehyun sighed, knowing the truth had to be revealed.

[Flashback]

To cope with hidden emotions, Taeyong looked to his notebook to write down everything he felt. Taeyong, though, knew that it wasn’t the best idea to keep hiding the book under his bed, who knew if Ten would find it or not?

    So, with his paranoia, he started carrying it to work with him in his satchel. Secretary work wasn’t easy at all, but he knew he had a passion for business and being with Johnny meant too much to him to pass up.

One day in the office, Taeyong was immediately pulled into a room. He recognized Johnny’s decor obviously. Taeyong rolled his eyes.

“We have work to do, why did you pull me in?” he inquired.

“What? A boss can’t bring their secretary into their office now?” Johnny teased.

“Youngho...be serious,” Taeyong pouted.

“It’s Mr. Seo to you,” Johnny flashed a smile and reached forward, cupping Taeyong’s cheek lightly. They both slowly leaned in, soon pressing their lips against one another’s.

    Their kiss started out soft and well-paced, but Taeyong pushed Johnny onto his chair and sat in the taller’s lap, straddling him.

They took in every feature of each other and then proceeded to kiss each other once again. Taeyong ran his hand through Johnny’s thick locks, then caressing his cheek. Johnny’s hand wandered to Taeyong’s tie, undoing it in a matter of seconds.

    Once it was bundled in his hand, Johnny discarded Taeyong’s tie immediately. He loosened the collar of his lover’s shirt, his fingers lingering a little longer over his collarbones.

Taeyong let out a deep sigh, kissing Johnny’s jawline, nipping lightly at the skin. He let out a yelp and jerked his shoulders back when he felt Johnny’s hand harshly palm his clothed dick.

    Johnny unbuttoned the top of Taeyong’s dress shirt, running his hand along the other’s chest, taking one of his nipples in between his fingers. Taeyong winced but let out a low moan, wrapping his arms around Johnny’s shoulders for stability.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door which became louder and much more demanding by each second. Taeyong stood up from Johnny’s lap, buttoning up his shirt and picking up his tie. He fixed his hair and proceeded to open the door.

Jaehyun was standing there with a stack of papers. He gave Taeyong a deadly glare but ignored him. He walked over to Johnny and slammed the paperwork onto his desk. Jaehyun then properly glanced at Taeyong’s appearance, noticing his disheveled look and rolled his eyes.

“You disgust me. You know, you’re making it REALLY hard for me to not believe you’re still a prostitute. You’re working in a company, try to be more professional and NOT have sex in the office,” Jaehyun scowled, his shoulder bumping into Taeyong.

Taeyong’s face became red, realizing how prone to embarrassment he really was. 

“Like I said before, don’t mind Jaehyun. Anyways, would you like to go out tonight?” Johnny offered.

Taeyong pondered for a moment. Ten had already informed him that he’d be working later into the night and wouldn’t be home. After a couple more seconds of contemplation, he smiled. “Yes, I’d love to go out with you,” he replied with confidence.

After work, Taeyong immediately started walking towards Johnny’s car a few minutes after Johnny left the building, just so his co-workers would not be suspicious. Once the coast was clear, he entered the car, closing the door behind him and buckling his seatbelt.

“So where are you taking me?” Taeyong inquired.

“Just some sightseeing, you’re going to love it!” Johnny gleefully claimed.

After only a few minutes, Johnny finally parked his car in the lot and Taeyong followed him out. Taeyong looked around to see the most beautiful display of flora, a garden filled with a plethora of flowers. They radiated more under the starry night and Taeyong’s mouth was left agape.

“J-Johnny, this is beautiful,” he marveled at the sight.

Without saying a word, Johnny led him up a hill and they both took a spot under a tree. “I just thought the both of us needed a calm scenery since everything has been so hectic,” Johnny stated.

“I appreciate that a lot, I really do,” Taeyong leaned in and kissed his cheek.

After a few minutes of silence, Johnny finally spoke up. “So are you going to break up with Ten?” he questioned in the most serious tone.

Taeyong stared at him with wide eyes. “W-What? Why would I break up with Ten? He only recently woke up and recovered in the hospital! Not only that, but he loves me and I know I haven’t completely fallen out of love for him. Our relationship is a little hasty and rushed, everyone just happened so quickly, I can’t do that,” Taeyong was firm.

Johnny’s gaze darkened a little. “So what I’m hearing is that I’m the ‘other man’ basically? You want both of us, so you’re just going to play around, since I’m your boy toy, is that it?” Johnny raised his voice.

“NO! That’s not it at all! I need time, Johnny. I-I can’t spring any of this information onto him so soon, h-he won’t understand. You’re not my boy toy, I genuinely love you,” Taeyong reassured him.

Johnny calmed down. “I’m sorry, I should’ve taken your feelings into consideration before asking,” he apologized.

Taeyong embraced him instantly, catching Johnny off guard. It was soon reciprocated, Johnny’s strong arms wrapping around Taeyong’s petite figure. Their fingers intertwined as they kissed each other passionately. Johnny lifted Taeyong and carried him back to the car. After they both were situated, he drove quickly, reaching Taeyong’s apartment.

“Y-You said Ten wasn’t home, right?” Johnny questioned hastily.

“Yes, we’d both be the only ones,” Taeyong confirmed.

Johnny took his keys out of the car, opening the door and running to the other side, carrying Taeyong out of the passenger seat bridal style. He ran inside the building and entered the elevator, waiting until they finally reached Taeyong’s floor.

   He put Taeyong down so he could open the door. Once the door was open, he pushed him inside, closing it behind them. He captured Taeyong in a rougher kiss, instantly returned. It was slower, dragged out, but perfectly passionate.

His tongue swiped Taeyong’s lip, the other letting him explore every crevice. Before they knew it, they were in Taeyong and Ten’s bedroom, removing each other’s clothes, and having sex. Johnny even managed to leave minutes before Ten’s arrival. However, during that time, they forgot one crucial piece: to put on a condom.

At the time, Taeyong didn’t realize anything was wrong. Then about two weeks had passed and something felt off. He was showing more signs of sickness, he was tired, and even irritable. Taeyong’s heart dropped as only one thought ran across his mind.

    After managing to buy a test and checking his results in a public bathroom, his suspicion was confirmed. His head dropped into his hands, crying, feeling stupid and angry at himself. The thought of having Johnny’s child was nice, but ultimately, he was betraying Ten and was still putting up the facade of being a faithful boyfriend.

He discarded the test and went back home, avoiding Ten’s worried gaze all together.

“Are you okay, Taeyong? You seem a little sick,” Ten stated out of concern.

“I’m a little nauseous, I guess I’ve been working so hard. Please don’t worry about me,” Taeyong replied.

“Okay, but if you need anything, I’m here,” Ten responded, going back to his take home work.

Taeyong entered the bedroom and took out his notebook. He started a new entry:

“I can’t believe it, how did this fucking happen? I’m PREGNANT. I’m carrying Johnny’s child and I’m conflicted on what to do. How do I keep screwing up over and over again? Once a whore always a whore! I hate myself for it. Yet, I’m so happy. A beautiful child has the opportunity to come into this world...then again, what about it? I keep hurting people again and again. I need to find a way to tell Johnny.”

When Taeyong finished his entry, he felt a little better being able to let his emotions out on paper. He put his notebook into his work satchel and brushed off any thoughts about the baby.

The next day, he was hectic with work, a tight schedule for the whole day. With all he had to do, Taeyong left his notebook out in the open on his desk.

Coincidentally, Jaehyun had been walking by to give Taeyong more paperwork. Once he noticed he wasn’t present, he was just about to leave the paperwork on his desk and a sticky note on top with instructions. That was until the notebook caught his eye. He ran his hand over the bright red cover and looked around, noticing no one was around.

Jaehyun picked up the notebook and read through a few entries, snickering at how pathetic Taeyong sounded in each one of them. Finally, he stumbled upon the most recent entry and the rage instantly filled his whole being.

“T-That prostitute is pregnant with Johnny’s child?! THAT IS NOT FAIR! A two-timing bitch will take Johnny away from me, I can’t let that happen. I have to do something about that fetus,” Jaehyun’s mind filled with more and more corrupt and sinister thoughts.

Finally, a plan instantly came to him. He threw the notebook back in place and ran to Johnny.

“Johnny, I was thinking since our finances have been doing so well, we should celebrate. We should order drinks for the whole company, soda would be great, right?” Jaehyun suggested.

“Aww that’s an amazing idea, buddy! I would love that, soda brings a party-like mood and I think we need it in such a stiff work atmosphere,” Johnny joked. “I’ll place an order right now and they should be here in about an hour,” he continued.

Jaehyun faked a smile, “Oh that’s perfect...”

Once the drinks had arrived, Jaehyun had insisted in pouring them into the cups. Afterwards, he slipped an ibuprofen into one of the cups, waiting until it dissolved with the soda, changing the chemical makeup.

    Then, he had called unsuspecting Taeil in when he was done to go to everyone and give them their soda, making sure that the exact one with the medication was distributed to Taeyong.

Taeil walked towards Taeyong’s desk and put the cup down in front of him. Taeyong looked up from his paperwork.

“What’s this for?” Taeyong inquired.

“Johnny and Jaehyun wanted to celebrate since all of our finances have been going so well. It’s soda for the whole company,” Taeil gave a warm smile and left.

Taeyong looked down at the cup, but still drank it, appreciative of Johnny for his kindness. Nothing seemed wrong at the moment, but after a couple days his nature became more aloof. He knew something was off, yet he couldn’t bring himself to interact with Johnny or Ten.

     Everyone was worried for him at the office, except Jaehyun, of course. Then, Taeyong started receiving symptoms. None indicated the pregnancy, he had a lot of pain, especially in his abdomen. He even noticed blood...and that’s when it hit him. He somehow miscarried.

    He couldn’t help but blame himself, he obviously wasn’t paying attention to the baby. He probably ate something, he knew he wasn’t careful enough.

On his way home, he cried on the bus. Worried strangers tried to comfort him but he wouldn’t take it. The only thing he knew for sure was that at least he didn’t tell Johnny.

    Yet the blow was devastating to him, he pondered on the fact that he wasn’t responsible towards the well-being of the fetus at all. He knew, though, he had to stop thinking about it. Being in Ten’s comfort could help, he could just brush it off as a bad week. There he went again, thinking about how to be more manipulative and continuously lie.

On the other hand, Jaehyun was filled with joy, feeling victorious. His love was blinding his moral ethics, but he knew that Taeyong needed to be miserable to learn a lesson, right? Johnny would have to eventually realize who is the one he really needs.

[Flashback Over]

Jaehyun looked away in shame as tears threatened to spill. He knew Mark was crying, feeling betrayed and hurt.

“H-How could you? I-I could’ve had an older sibling. I could’ve been someone’s little brother! Y-You did something so cruel and heartless without even thinking about the repercussions! Y-You really are a horrible person!” Mark shouted with rage.

“I-I tried warning you, but you insisted. I’m so sorry, Mark. I really am. I’ve been regretting it since I snapped out of my own selfish desires,” Jaehyun explained.

“D-Did dad ever find out? Is that he reason why he stopped talking to you?” he asked with a hoarse tone.

“N-No. I was so stupid and fucked up in the head that I ended up doing something even worse after that,” Jaehyun answered with a monotone voice.

Mark calmed down after a few minutes. “I don’t know you. I don’t know what you’re capable of and what you’ve done and I might be naive and foolish, but I still need answers. Now that I know you did this, I need to hear further on. However, I might not come over for a few days. I need to reflect on this, and you...I really hope you’ve redeemed yourself in modern day because you’re such an evil, manipulative prick,” Mark stated all at once before leaving the house.

Jaehyun sat still, trying to reflect on everything. He facepalmed, not even jail or death was enough for his horrendous actions. He was just so blinded.


	12. Malice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Give up on me, please. I’ll even leave the company if I have to...”
> 
> Unexpected news can hurt more than the physical feeling of it actually hitting you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I’m so sorry for no update last week since I decided to update my NCT University series instead! However, I’m back in action with a new update for today! This chapter is a rollercoaster of emotions and thoughts, so I hope you all enjoy!

      Mark felt disgusted on the inside. His heart was heavy knowing that Jaehyun could do something so heinous. In complete honesty, he didn’t expect it at all. How far can a human go to be able to fulfill their own selfish desires? Was envy and greed so strong that it overtook any morality left in a person? 

   Mark didn’t know, he quickly peddled his bike all the way back home. He spotted his dad’s car in the driveway, it was blatant he was home earlier than usual. Mark sighed, placed his bike in the backyard, and then proceeded to enter the house.

Johnny’s eyes were laced with concern as he noticed the time and how distraught permeated off of Mark’s aura. 

“Mark, are you okay? Where have you been? I don’t ever recall you coming home this late,” Johnny stated.

“I-I had choir rehearsal after school. Remember how I told you I decided to do more after school clubs? It was just that,” Mark replied with a dead tone.

Johnny was completely thrown off. Had he not even given any attention to his own son in so long that he didn’t even notice how much his facial expressions changed? Johnny felt disappointed in himself, he was a HORRIBLE father. 

    What if Mark was being bullied or something to that extent? What if he was stressing over school? Johnny didn’t know anything. He failed himself and he especially failed Taeyong. 

    The worst part was that he was still such a coward, he couldn’t come clean and be able to tell his son anything about the past. He noticed Mark run upstairs to his room and then slam the door shut. Johnny pondered on what to do. 

Meanwhile, Mark started tearing up again. He felt betrayed even though nothing directly happened to him at all. He just thought about how sincere Jaehyun was and how he even admired him. He felt sorry for the older male, knowing that he was in love with Johnny. Yet, to think out of love he could do something so despicable was just a problem on its own. 

     Then there was his father, his own dad couldn’t tell him anything about appa. Why didn’t his dad even want to try and talk to him? Mark felt insignificant and useless. Yet, he still pined to know the whole truth. Mark was growing older, he knew that he had to mature into someone better. 

    Childish pettiness could not justify anything. It was futile. He took a few moments to calm himself down and he wiped away his tears. He looked at the picture on his desk. It was a picture of appa, dad, and himself right when he was born. He went over to it and held it in his arms, clutching it tightly against his chest. 

He then remembered Jaehyun’s remorse. If Jaehyun suffered for the rest of his life, tormented by guilt, it was obvious what he did in the past was triggered by anger. He was younger, naive, and blinded by love. Mark was aware of one thing, he had to forgive Jaehyun. When his own dad couldn’t even tell him anything about the past, Jaehyun agreed. Jaehyun was nothing but cooperative, patient, and Mark could only imagine the pain of seeing the product of the person he loved with someone that wasn’t him.

    Mark made it clear, he would go back to Jaehyun’s house the next day. Of course what Jaehyun did was wrong, horrible in every way, but if Mark kept holding grudges, he’d never know the full truth. Suddenly, he felt a light knock at his door. He immediately opened it up to see his dad standing there.

“Hey, can I come in?” Johnny inquired with a calm tone.

“Yeah dad, did you need to talk to me about something?” Mark asked.

Johnny looked away, trying to form the words in his mouth. He just needed to say it, he needed Mark to know everything. Yet nothing left his mouth. 

“I-I just wanted to check on you, you seemed somewhat down,” Johnny stated.

“Like I said before, I’m fine, dad. School’s just been a little hectic with the work load, that’s all. Don’t worry about me,” Mark answered nonchalantly.

“I understand, but please don’t hesitate to talk to me when you need to. I’ll leave you be for now,” he replied and left his son’s room.

Johnny facepalmed, realizing he failed ONCE AGAIN. He was tongue-tied. He was afraid of what his son would think of his own parents if he knew the truth. If anything, he was protecting Taeyong. Even though Taeyong had long passed and he eventually stopped being a sex-worker...how would Mark react to hear such things?

    Johnny could only consider the worst case scenarios playing off in his mind. Eventually...eventually, it always came back to eventually. Johnny sighed in defeat and trudged downstairs to prepare some dinner for Mark. 

The following day, Mark rushed as quickly as he could to Jaehyun’s house. He was lucky because he knew that Jaehyun worked late night shifts at his job and would be awake at such a time. He hesitantly knocked on the door but then paused. Was it really okay for him to continue asking Jaehyun for answers? Jaehyun was not a good person, Mark was sure of that, but people change over time. 

     He was certain Jaehyun had changed his ways. The previous night, Mark made a vow to himself that no matter how sad, gruesome, or just unbelievable the rest of the story turned out to be, he’d still hear Jaehyun out. Mark’s desperation for the truth clouded his sense, but it was for the best possible outcome. 

Finally, the door opened up to a surprised Jaehyun. “M-Mark! You’re here so soon. I thought you needed a couple days to think about everything?” he inquired.

“I thought I did, but I realized I can’t hate you for something you did in the past. You did something horrible, yet you feel remorse and you think about it all the time. To me, I think you’ve suffered enough. Anyways, I just need to know everything and from the start, you’ve been my only source in learning the truth,” Mark responded with a determined tone.

Jaehyun nodded his head and followed Mark into the living room. Jaehyun marveled at how well Mark was raised, he was already showing forgiveness and understanding at such a young age. 

“Just continue where you left off. I don’t care how bad the rest of this might turn out, I’ll mentally prepare myself for it,” Mark stated with determination.

Jaehyun nodded his head,”Okay, yeah, let’s see...”

[Flashback]

Taeyong stepped off the bus and walked straight to his apartment. He was aware Ten would be home by then, so he would hope to run into his boyfriend’s waiting arms for comfort. Just as expected, Ten was sitting there, waiting for him. He had the warmest smile on his face.

    Taeyong’s eyes softened, he almost forgot of all the mental trauma put on his mind and the fact that he lost his baby that no one else had any idea about.

He sat down next to his beloved and instantly pulled him into a hug. Ten’s eyes went wide but he quickly returned the gesture. He could sense the stress radiating off of Taeyong. Their embrace was shortened as Ten looked into Taeyong’s big eyes.

“Honey, are you okay? Why do I have the feeling that something is wrong?” Ten inquired with concern. 

“I-I’m just such a mess, Ten. I can’t do anything right, I don’t deserve anything good. I-I should only suffer,” Taeyong cried as he buried his head in Ten’s shoulder. 

“Hey! How dare you insult yourself like that? Taeyong, none of that is true. I don’t know what’s stressing you out, but you’re so strong. You will pass it any obstacle that’s blocking your way. Taeyong, you deserve only the best in life. You’ve always worked hard for everything. To hear you say such atrocious lies about yourself hurts me. I-I love you for you. Since the day we met, I’ve always thought you were perfect. Everything about you radiates with love, warmth, and comfort. Your smile is the reason that I can keep living. Even during our troubles of the past and my illness, I kept fighting only for you. I never want to see your tears, I want to be your hero. Lee Taeyong, we’ve known each other for so long and I know you aren’t in the best state of mind right now, but hear me out. I love you and in our comfort I have to say this...” Ten sighed.

Taeyong’s eyes went wide as Ten was on one knee in front of him. He pulled out a small box and opened it up to reveal a stunning diamond ring and Taeyong could only cover his mouth with his hands. He was actually in tears. 

“We’ve known each other for so long, dated one another. You’ve never given up on me and I will never give up on you. My love for you is everlasting, so will you marry me?” Ten inquired with hopeful eyes. 

“H-How did you afford such a ring?” Taeyong managed to ask.

“I’ve been saving up money and putting it aside for the longest time. It was before I became so ill, before I went into a coma. I’ve saved it up so I can give you the perfect ring. So please say yes and be mine. I’ll have a whole wedding for us planned and we can marry in the United States, where it’s legal, the UK, Canada, wherever, so we can settle down and be with each other, just give me a proper response,” even Ten’s eyes filled with tears.

Taeyong’s mind flooded with the thoughts of the love he had for Ten. It probably never left. The only person that wasn’t on his mind was Johnny. At that moment, Johnny wasn’t even a slight thought at all. 

“Yes, yes, yes, I’ll marry you. I’m always yours, forever and always,” Taeyong responded.

Ten stood up and slipped the ring onto his boyfriend’s finger. He cupped his cheeks and pulled him into the most loving kiss. They looked at one another and found solace in each other’s arms. Ten took out his phone and played some relaxing music, swaying slowly with his fiancé in his arms. Ten placed a chaste kiss on Taeyong’s forehead and went into the kitchen to prepare a meal.

Taeyong sighed and slouched onto the couch. He clutched himself as it finally dawned on him. He was engaged...to Ten. His love for Johnny was meaningless, pointless. In fact, Taeyong pondered if it was even there at all.

   He tried reassuring himself that Johnny was a simple fling, nothing serious. He filled the void when Ten was in the hospital. He was a mistake, their attraction was desire, not pure love. Taeyong continuously put thoughts in his mind to convince himself he did not love Johnny, he tried so hard. 

Yet everything had to be more complicated. Johnny did everything for him, gave him comfort, gave him his dream job, and took him away from his nightmares. Johnny did everything for him. How could he take advantage of his love and come out and say that he and Ten were engaged? His mind played games with him, back and forth.

   Whatever him and Johnny had couldn’t continue. It would only hurt the both of them in the process, they had to move on. Even if it meant never seeing Johnny again, he’d have to move on, he had to let Johnny go. 

The next day at work, he noticed Jaehyun and Johnny standing by Taeil’s desk. They seemed to be having a light-hearted conversation. Taeyong walked by the desk, sickened to his stomach as he clutched his satchel tighter. His eyes met all three men who spotted him. 

“Hello, Taeyong, you’re here even earlier today,” Taeil stated.

“Y-Yeah, I decided to catch an earlier bus, that’s all,” Taeyong sighed. The truth was, he expected if he arrived to work earlier than he would be able to avoid Johnny. Yet that obviously backfired on him. 

Johnny flashed him an endearing smile while Jaehyun just glared at him. Then he noticed Jaehyun looking at his hand. Taeyong quickly tried to hide his hand but he knew it was to no avail.

Jaehyun deviously smirked. “Oh Taeyong, I didn’t notice that you had a ring on your finger! Are you engaged?” Jaehyun questioned with an over-exaggerated tone. 

Johnny’s eyes trailed down to see the diamond ring that lay upon Taeyong’s finger. His eyes instantly met his lover’s, filling with grief and confusion all at once. Taeil sensed the tense atmosphere and quickly excused himself. 

“I-I think we should talk about this in the office,” Johnny explained, his voice sounding dead. Johnny has never sounded so heartbroken and hurt. The last time he was even close to such pain was when Taeyong first told him about Ten. 

They both walked into Johnny’s office and even Jaehyun managed to sneak in before the door locked. Johnny and Taeyong stared straight at the other male. 

“Oh don’t mind me! I’m just filing some paperwork,” Jaehyun smiled casually, ready to listen in. 

Ignoring the other presence in the room, Taeyong’s eyes met Johnny’s once again. “Johnny, I’m-“

“Let me guess? You’re sorry? Is that it? I think I need a little more than SORRY!” Johnny’s voice boomed, the anger evident in his tone.

“Give up on me, please. I’ll even leave the company if I have to. Ten proposed last night and I said yes...he’s my fiancé now. I hope you can understand, what we had was just...it was temporary,” Taeyong explained, his voice laced with regret.

Johnny took in the words slowly. He finally grabbed Taeyong by the shoulders and shook him a couple times. “ARE YOU OKAY? Temporary? I knew it you were leading me on! That’s all I am to you? Everything we’ve went through? Every encounter we’ve had? I’m nothing to you, I never was anything to you. I gave you my heart and y-you ripped it apart. Enjoy your life with Ten. By the way, you’re STILL my secretary. Just because you’re a shitty person doesn’t mean you’re a bad worker. Also, I’m not vindictive or vengeful, I’ll move on from this, so why should you have to leave your work place? We’ll be professional about this, okay?” Johnny confirmed, trying to remain calm.

“Johnny-“ Taeyong tried to comfortingly grab Johnny by the shoulder and finish his sentence, but he was quickly interrupted. 

“Don’t you DARE call me Johnny. It’s Mr. Seo to you. One unprofessional slip-up like that again and I’ll make sure you’re on the streets,” Johnny’s voice was dead yet filled with blatant malice. He abruptly walked out of the office without another word. 

Jaehyun shook his head at how pitiful Taeyong looked. “Aww, so pathetic! The little whore couldn’t keep up with two dicks, so he decided to choose. I’m actually very happy about your choice, you know? I’m so glad you finally learned your place. Don’t cry, what are you going to do, write in that journal of yours?” he questioned.

Taeyong stood up, feeling uneasy. “How did you know about my journal?” he inquired with fear.

“Just a tip, don’t leave your personal possessions out in the open, you don’t know who can see it and use that information against you,” Jaehyun responded in a mischievous tone and happily skipped out of the office.

Taeyong was left in tears, sitting at his desk, contemplating about his own stupidity. If only he could repent for his wrongdoings...if only.

[Flashback Over]

“No! You have to continue!” Mark whined.

“As much as I would love to continue, I realized that I have an early shift and I have to leave soon. I’m sorry, but as you know, you’re welcome to come tomorrow,” Jaehyun said.

Mark understood and was on his way out, until he asked,”Where do you work now that you and dad don’t talk to each other?”

Jaehyun quickly answered, “After we stopped talking to one another and I finally settled in America, I took a job at another computer software company since I had all the qualifications regardless. See you tomorrow, Mark.”

“Yeah, likewise,” Mark replied, leaving, and wondering what could’ve unfolded to lead to the events of present day.


	13. Familiarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His essence was perfectly captured and nothing had to be said. There was an understanding between them, familiarity even, feeling at ease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I’m back! I’m so sorry for no updates, especially for this story, for two weeks. Basically, went to see our boys at Neo City in New Jersey, that was so exciting because it was my first concert! Anyways, after that, I had many exams piled up and I still have a lot more exams to do coming up. With all my time occupied, I couldn’t find time to write. So, my update schedule may be different for a while and won’t be weekly updates. I’m still trying to figure it all out and I thank you all for your patience! So here’s the next chapter and I really appreciate it! Enjoy!

      On his way back home, Mark went on to wonder what happened to Ten in present day. It wasn’t only the simple curiosity of how everything changed or what may have happened in the past, but Ten seemed like a major player. Mark entered the house to see his dad still wasn’t back yet from work. He reflected on everything Jaehyun had told him...but could he completely trust him? Even though Jaehyun felt remorse in later years, he was blatantly not a good person at all.

Mark’s mind wandered to how the events would’ve folded out as if he could have witnessed everything with his own two eyes to confirm Jaehyun’s words. He took his phone out of his pocket and went to search up Ten’s name if he could find him. Then it hit him, Ten was a nickname, right? There was no way he could actually find him without knowing his full name. He sighed and trudged towards the attic as if he could find something there. 

     It was futile, though, as it was the same scattered letters and pictures. There was nothing, so his curiosity continued to pick at him. Realizing how desperate he had become, Mark sighed, realizing the inevitable and trying to find the true worth of all he was doing.

He left the attic and entered his own bedroom, laying down on the bed and finding complete solace with himself. He went to his messages, nothing new or different, of course it was just his friends and their random natures.Donghyuck was just sending memes, Jeno was saying stupid things, and Jaemin was being nonsensical. Then it hit Mark hard, when did he become like this? He was just a kid himself, making silly jokes and playing around was what he SHOULD be doing. A normal kid, with simplistic thoughts, that’s what Mark should’ve been. 

     Yet he was not. His parents’ past affected him, hit him hard, and learning about it only made it difficult to cope with. As a growing preteen, he shouldn’t have felt the need to struggle with such problems, yet he was.

His dad wasn’t home yet, always busy with work. Mark pulled on his bangs with frustration and hit his head against his pillow. He winced, shutting his eyes, and eventually lulling himself into a deep sleep.

He could picture images of how happy his family would’ve been if his appa were still alive. How would he have aged? Would he have some gray hairs like dad? If their happy family consisted of the three of them, then Mark wouldn’t have even had to question their past. He would’ve never pried on their personal lives, he would’ve never met Jaehyun, and his life would’ve been more stable. He longed to have that type of happy family, but sadly, he could never receive it. 

     Even in his wildest dreams he could never even imagine that type of scenario. There was a part of him that felt deep resentment, he just wasn’t sure towards who. In the end, he felt that Jaehyun really was the only one helping him out and for that, he was slightly grateful in a sense. 

The day afterwards marked the weekend that had come around. This meant that Johnny would be working longer and Mark could stay at Jaehyun’s house much longer to hear more. It became a usual routine for Mark to visit Jaehyun and of course the older male expected his arrival. As Mark took his usual place on the couch, Jaehyun gave him a questioning look and Mark tensed up.

“Did I do something wrong?” Mark inquired.

“No, it’s just...why do you look so sad? Is something the matter?” Jaehyun questioned with concern.

Mark shrugged his shoulders and looked down at his shoes. His eyes were dull and empty, Jaehyun could notice that. After a few minutes of silence, Mark finally spoke up.

“I wish appa was still alive! My life would be so much better if I could just have the happy family I desired of appa, dad, and myself. Then I wouldn’t even be on a whole mysterious quest of what were my parents’ truth? However, life is never friendly like that, life always ends up hurting you, even when you hope for the best. What’s the point of being optimistic? In the end, you have to realize you have NO ONE!” Mark shouted, his voice cracking with aguish as he pounded his hand on the center table. The corner of his eyes brimmed with tears and seeing such a sight broke Jaehyun’s heart.

As Mark attempted to calm down, his eyes went wide at the newfound warmth. Jaehyun pulled him into a loving embrace, which Mark hesitantly returned. The hug felt domestic, homely, and perfect. It was like receiving a hug from the appa he never really was able to see. After the soothing embrace, Jaehyun left the room to fetch Mark some snacks. 

“I was just searching up recipes online and came across a dark chocolate cupcake one! Here you go,” Jaehyun smiled, his dimples accentuated.

Mark gladly took one of the treats and took his place at a seat back at the couch. He felt at ease. 

“I understand how frustrating it is to desire certain outcomes that have no chance of happening. It’s distressing, I know. Mark, at least know I’m here for you, even if you can’t find yourself to trust me or if you even want my presence around, I’ll support you,” Jaehyun reassured. 

Mark’s eyes lit up with some hope ignited in his soul. “Thanks, Mr. Jung! Oh, by the way, I was wondering...where is Ten nowadays?” Mark asked. 

“Um, it might be easier to answer that a little bit later, after you gain some more comprehension of the past,” Jaehyun stated. 

“Okay, I can wait,” Mark replied.

[Flashback]

Taeyong was terrified. He never felt such fear before, not when he and Ten were targeted, not when he was a prostitute, never was he so scared. However, at that moment, Johnny shook him to the core. For the rest of the day at work, Johnny not only gave him such deadly glares, but he would THROW paperwork at his desk. He never handed him anything, he was thrown it, or he would drop it on the floor and expect Taeyong to go on his hands and knees to pick it up. It was the degradation from Johnny he couldn’t handle and it killed him on the inside.

He could take insults from Jaehyun, he could be slapped and kicked around by dirty men wanting a quickie, but...such mistreatment from Johnny? Something just made him feel even more pathetic about it. However, what made Taeyong’s blood boil was seeing Jaehyun’s smug expression. He was SATISFIED that Taeyong was being treated this way and he edged it on. Not only that, but Jaehyun was capable of a lot more than he let on. He read through Taeyong’s journal, invaded his privacy, and constantly made him feel bad about himself. At first, Taeyong felt pity for Jaehyun due to how his feelings for Johnny were unrequited. At that point, though, Taeyong was sick and tired of such a cynical, manipulative, rude man. 

Yet at the same time, Taeyong completely deserved such treatment. It was HIM that broke it off with Johnny. He was the one that accepted Ten’s proposal, in the end, EVERYTHING was Taeyong’s fault. In the end, the workday was one of his most stressful ones with constant pileups of tasks and being degraded. He held his head up high and moved forward. 

     On his bus ride back to his apartment, he wondered what he should’ve done. How could things have played out if life had something else in store for him? He thought about his dead child and how horrible he was for not feeling sadder about losing it. 

Finally, he arrived at his apartment and heard the shower was on. He assumed Ten was probably back from work and was cleaning himself up to relax. Before he knew it, arms wrapped around his waist and placed a chaste kiss on his neck. He could feel the wetness from Ten’s skin sticking to him and making him slightly damp. Taeyong giggled, running his hand through Ten’s wet locks as the other kissed his cheek.

“How was work?” Ten inquired softly.

“Stressful, I had a lot of tasks to do at once. However, I managed to have it all done,” Taeyong responded.

“Do you want me to relieve you of your tiredness?” Ten questioned teasingly, his fingers playing with the buttons on Taeyong’s collared shirt. 

“Ten~stop it! You and your sex drive, I can’t keep up,” Taeyong whined, feeling Ten’s kisses on his neck becoming longer.

He lazily ran his tongue over the stripe of his neck and then bit up his jawline. Ten spun Taeyong around as his towel dropped to the floor from around his waist. He was completely naked and Taeyong’s cheeks heated up. 

“Chittaphon! This is HIGHLY inappropriate, you’re standing in the living room with NOTHING on!” Taeyong reprimanded.

“So? It’s our apartment and you’re my fiancé. I don’t think it matters that much, now does it?” Ten hummed, taking Taeyong by his arm and spinning him around, completely facing him. 

Taeyong’s breath hitched as Ten cupped his cheeks and their lips smashed against one another’s. They moved in sync, kissing harder and faster, Taeyong’s arms wrapping around Ten’s neck. He could feel Ten’s bare cock harden at sight, rubbing against the fabric of his pants. Ten skillfully unbuttoned Taeyong’s shirt enough to have access to his nipples and pinch one of them slowly and leisurely. 

Taeyong’s eyes shut at the pleasurable contact as he pushed his head back and let out a soft moan. “John~” he let out. When Ten’s hand slipped out of his shirt that’s when Taeyong’s eyes shot open and he panicked. Ten was staring straight at him in confusion. 

“D-Did you just say John? Who is John?” Ten raised an eyebrow in suspicion and confusion. He picked up his towel and wrapped it around himself once again. 

Taeyong thought he was caught and had to come clean. Then, he realized Ten only knew Johnny’s Korean name, not that his English name was John. It relieved Taeyong for a bit. 

“J-John! You know, I have to go to the bathroom, USE THE JOHN!” Taeyong smiled meekly, internally cringing at how stupid he sounded. 

“Why couldn’t you have just said that you needed to go to the bathroom then?” Ten questioned as his eyes narrowed.

“BECAUSE IT IS NOT EASY TO SAY WHEN YOU ARE FEELING SO MUCH PLEASURE!! Silly, you know I love only you,” Taeyong nervously laughed.

“Y-Yeah of course, I trust you, I was just making sure,” Ten stuttered, perplexed by his fiancé’s behavior. 

Taeyong quickly ran to the bathroom and splashed water on his face. He looked at himself in the mirror, disappointed. He walked out of the bathroom to see Ten wearing a bathroom and showing concern on his face. 

“Taeyong, do you want to go out on your own to have some fresh air? You don’t look so well,” Ten remarked.

Taeyong nodded his head and immediately ran out of the apartment. He ran for a couple blocks, tears blurring his vision. He finally arrived by an all too familiar alleyway and put his head against the concrete wall, feeling regretful. He couldn’t even last a day without Johnny. 

Meanwhile, back at Johnny and Jaehyun’s shared apartment, Jaehyun was comforting his hurt best friend. Johnny was tearing up in his arms as Jaehyun whispered sweet nothings in his ear, trying to coax the heartbroken male. Of course he was filled with joy, but seeingJohnny so upset had hurt him too. 

“Jaehyun, do you mind if I go out for a walk? I need to clear my head for a bit,” Johnny claimed in a dead tone.

Jaehyun agreed, letting Johnny out of his embrace and watching him run out. Johnny walked casually, wiping away a few stray tears from his eyes. He could insult Taeyong, ignore him, or threaten him, but in the end, that was not how he truly felt. He could never hurt his beloved, even if he couldn’t have him. 

Eventually, Johnny reached a busy street and noticed the once familiar red street lights. That was when he saw a figure hunched over by the once common alleyway. He walked closer and recognized Taeyong’s figure. He was shaking, in tears, and his diamond ring on his finger was omitting a shine. Then, he noticed how the red lights surrounding them still perfectly captured Taeyong’s essence.

Taeyong’s beauty shone through even though he was crying. He was still as perfect in every way. Some pride and dignity that was holding him back from running to his beloved, but it quickly crumbled. Taeyong had not spotted him yet, but Johnny could hear the whispers of his own name coming from Taeyong’s mouth. 

      It reassured him that they both could not live without one another. Step after step, Johnny was closer to Taeyong and eventually leaned over him. Taeyong turned around and his body eased seeing Johnny before him.

The amount of joy in his heart was indescribable. He felt like he had so much to say, but he didn’t have to. Johnny’s thumb brushed over his wet cheeks and wiped his tears away. They rested their foreheads against one another’s as their noses touched. 

      Everything was rushed, barely a day had passed but they were still felt so connected to one another. The anger and anguish subsided as their lips met. The red light was shining on both of them, Taeyong’s grip on Johnny’s jacket becoming stronger, not wanting to let him go.

Their confidentiality was in tact, at ease, and nothing felt better than being in each other’s arms. Except there were eyes watching the both of them with rage, in fact, there were two pairs of eyes staring from opposite directions that were completely horrified and vexed. The hopeful lovers were too occupied with one another to notice. 

Johnny and Taeyong’s peace was not going to last for long. 


	14. Instinct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do you want revenge?” 
> 
> “Yes, yes, I want fucking revenge!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Sorry for such a late and really short update! Life becomes really hectic and I finally found some time! Thank you for understanding and enjoy!

[Flashback Cont.]

Drip.

That was the sound of the first drop of rain that hit the street.

 

Thump.

That was the sound of Ten’s heart at that moment when he was deluded enough to believe his eyes had deceived him. 

 

Drop.

That was the tear that slowly cascaded down Ten’s pale cheek. 

 

It felt like a routine, drip, thump, drop. Ten couldn’t believe his eyes, what emotion could be enough to describe his sight? Betrayal? Grief? Remorse? What if it was nothing and everything?

   His beloved fiancé that he so loved and trusted was blatantly in the arms of another man. The tall figure looked familiar, wasn’t that the man Taeyong called to be his boss? 

His own beloved ran away to meet with another, someone that wasn’t him. The absurdity of the situation became clear. Was Taeyong truly not his? Was Taeyong someone else’s? Ten didn’t care about the rain, he let it cascade down his face, mingling with the drops leaving his eyes. 

He could see across the street there was another man. He was also watching the sight in the corner of the alleyway. Was that the other’s lover? Could that man with wide, angry eyes relate to the unspoken confusion Ten felt? 

The man on the other side of the street stared directly in Ten’s direction. It was strange, his anger immediately pacified into this disgustingly calm facade. He immediately started walking over to Ten, who tensed up. 

      Once the man was close enough, he pulled Ten by the arm to sit inside a cafe that was still open and was not too far away. 

“I’m Jaehyun...Johnny is someone extremely special to me,” he stated.

Ten felt his heart dropped. Before Taeyong had ran off, as they were becoming intimate, he moaned the name...John. 

“I know who you are, you’re Taeyong’s fiancé, Ten. This isn’t the easiest thing to explain, for obvious reasons, but now it’s finally become aware to you that Taeyong has not been faithful to you,” Jaehyun sighed. He alluded with a sense of fake pity in his tone. 

Ten remained silent, he simply listened on. 

“They’ve been seeing each other for a while. Even during the time that you were still in the hospital. Doesn’t that enrage you? That your little plaything was fucking around with someone else behind your back? He was even pregnant with Johnny’s child...sadly it was terminated due to...unforeseen circumstances,” Jaehyun continued.

Ten whipped his head to look Jaehyun in the eyes. His internal frustrations were let out as he stood up and kicked a chair near them over and over. Jaehyun sat him back down and soothed his outburst. 

“I’m sorry about your little prostitute-“ Jaehyun was quickly interrupted.

“OKAY FINE! Taeyong fucking cheated on me, I heard you! He was pregnant with the other man’s kid, fine! BUT WHO THE HELL GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO CALL MY FIANCÉ A PROSTITUTE!” Ten shouted.

Jaehyun blinked his eyes a couple times and finally smirked. “Oh? You didn’t know?” Jaehyun tilted his head to the side. 

“T-Taeyong would tell me everything, no matter what! I know everything about the love of my life! You can’t tell me otherwise!” Ten remained stubborn. 

“Taeyong told JOHNNY everything, not you. You were in the damn hospital, you deluded fool. Johnny told me everything because I’m his best friend. He would be so conflicted about making love to Taeyong at his apartment and keeping things confidential, oh how sad. Well, your little innocent flower was selling his body to everyone and anyone to benefit himself and take care of your hospital bills or whatever. As sweet as that may sound that he took up some job to stay low key and make fast money, think about what he did? He still cheated on you, lied to you, and manipulated you. Oh, Ten, you’re so naive,” Jaehyun stated in a mocking tone. 

Ten slammed his hands on the table and pulled Jaehyun by the collar in a threatening manner. “Oh~now he’s frustrated! Well don’t take it out on ME! Your soon to be husband is the one that’s been fucking around with another man. Your husband was the one that decided to make money by spreading his legs,” he smirked.

Jaehyun went over to Ten’s side of the table and coaxed him. He soothingly put his hands on Ten’s shoulders as a sense of reassurance. He combed his fingers through Ten’s hair.

“Do you want revenge?” Jaehyun whispered in Ten’s ear.

Ten’s face was burning with seething rage, something he could not understand himself. He felt as if he wasn’t in control of his own actions at that point.

“Yes, yes, I want fucking revenge,” Ten vowed. 

The smile on Jaehyun’s features grew widely. “Yes, let’s discuss,” he replied. 


	15. Edge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yet all they could do was laugh.

[Flashback Cont.]

While Jaehyun had pulled Ten away and manipulated his emotional vulnerability, Taeyong was lost in Johnny’s eyes. There was a certain beauty to the man standing in front of him that brought a new depth, an everlasting understanding to him. The rain was still going strong, starting just minutes before, but it didn’t matter much to them. 

     Taeyong laid his head on Johnny’s shoulder and comfortingly took in his lover’s scent. He was like a newfound home surrounded by nostalgia. Taeyong wouldn’t trade that for the world, he wouldn’t give up on Johnny. 

However, the guilt ate at him. It wasn’t fair at all to Ten, the person he was engaged to. Taeyong even was aware how Jaehyun had it out for him and Jaehyun obviously had feelings for Johnny. Maybe Taeyong was making things more complicated than they should’ve been, but it didn’t matter in the end. 

     He knew his heart spoke for Johnny and that’s what it indicated, he felt for him. Taeyong gripped Johnny so tightly as if his life depended on it. He laid another kiss to his lover’s mouth as Johnny’s touch lingered just a bit longer. Then, they both parted ways, deciding it would be better to go home for the time being. 

Meanwhile, Jaehyun and Ten decided to go back to their respective homes, exchanging numbers so they could start scheming. When Taeyong entered the house again, he noticed Ten was slightly wet, as if he was out in the rain. Taeyong’s heart dropped. What if Ten followed him? No, no, Ten trusted Taeyong immensely, there was no way that could’ve been possible.

“Ten, why are you wet?” Taeyong inquired. 

“Oh, I decided to go out to the local cafe. I know you weren’t gone for long, but I felt bored being here by myself. Actually...I met someone there, he was a really nice guy!” Ten exclaimed. 

“Haha, I hope he’s not nice enough for you to be swayed into cheating on me and leaving,” Taeyong joked, even though he himself had no right to be such a hypocrite.

“No, no. He’s around our age, really friendly. He’s handsome too, had dimples! He seems to be affiliated with some prestigious company! We don’t really have many friends or acquaintances our age, so I decided it would be nice for him and his roommate to come over for dinner tomorrow!” Ten stated. 

“Ah...um...that’s nice, I’ll make sure to have everything ready,” Taeyong responded.  Dimples? Prestigious company? Has a roommate?  Taeyong prayed it wasn’t who he thought it was. Did Ten know more than he was leading on? There was no way, no way. Taeyong shook out all pessimistic thoughts and prepared for bed. 

Being at work the next day was extremely awkward. Taeyong didn’t know who knew what information. Everything was falling apart before his eyes but he acted as if everything was fine. He would occasionally glance at Johnny and give a small smile. 

     Of course, he would still face Jaehyun’s wrath and receive a dirty scowl but Taeyong didn’t linger much on it. By the end of the work day, Johnny approached Taeyong. 

“Hey, I can’t meet up with you tonight, Jaehyun wants to take me somewhere, so I’m sorry,” Johnny sighed.

“Don’t worry, Ten has guests coming over, so I’ll be busy as well,” Taeyong responded. He gave Johnny a kiss on his cheek when no one was looking and waved goodbye. 

On the bus ride back to his apartment, Taeyong paused. Why was Johnny going somewhere with Jaehyun? Where? He pushed the strange thoughts aside and entered to see Ten already back from his job shift. 

“Aww Tennie, you’re already preparing? I was going to cook,” Taeyong giggled.

“You’re still cooking, but I wanted to start prepping first. It’s going to be so much fun, I just can’t help myself!” Ten marveled. 

Taeyong took a quick shower and dressed in more casual clothes as he started cooking. He knew things couldn’t have been too bad. After finishing some final touches on his meal he made, he waited in the living room with Ten. 

     Then, there was a knock at their apartment door with two people standing there. Taeyong’s face completely paled seeing Jaehyun with a casual smile and Johnny with his head down in shame. 

Ten and Jaehyun hugged as Ten decided to play dumb. “Oh my! I didn’t know that your roommate was Taeyong’s boss?! When I came back from work one day, he was here because Taeyong wasn’t feeling well! I can’t believe it!” Ten gasped.

“Me too! Taeyong is my good friend and co-worker! He’s actually Youngho’s secretary! I can’t believe this is your fiancé! Small world! Right? Youngho? Taeyong?” Jaehyun gritted his teeth. 

Johnny casually flashed a smile and entered the apartment with slow steps, not saying a word. Jaehyun walked in and purposefully hit his shoulder against Taeyong’s. 

“Oh, Jae, let me show you around the apartment! I’m sure Taeyong can keep his own boss company, can’t he?” Ten inquired.

“Yes, Ten. He can! I’d love to see the kitchen!” Jaehyun stated as he followed Ten.

Johnny and Taeyong were shaking with fear and anxiety. They couldn’t even look each other in the eyes or take a step close to each other. 

“Johnny, I didn’t expect our guests to be you and Jaehyun,” Taeyong nervously chuckled.

“Yeah...Jaehyun said he had a new friend he wanted to go visit, I didn’t expect it to be your fiancé. When we walked into your apartment building, the feeling of dread hit me when we were right in front of your door, yet it was too late to go back,” Johnny explained. 

“You don’t think Jaehyun might’ve told Ten anything...right?” Taeyong asked. 

“Jaehyun is my best friend. He’s loyal to me and can keep secrets, I trust him,” Johnny said. 

“Well, Ten is more straightforward so if he knew something, he would’ve already told me. I just don’t understand why you had to tell Jaehyun everything,” Taeyong responded. 

“Like I said before, Jaehyun is my best friend since childhood, he helps me out with everything. I can’t just expect to solve my problems all on my own. Even before we started seeing each other, I would tell him how I pined for you. It’s that simple, Taeyong. I TRUST that Jaehyun didn’t expose anything to Ten and this is all a coincidence,” Johnny snapped with hostility in his tone. 

Hoping for the best, the both of them returned to their normal demeanors and walked into the kitchen. Jaehyun was helping Ten set some of the dishes down on the dining room table. They had sickeningly sweet smiles on their faces. 

They took their respective seats: Johnny and Jaehyun sitting next to one another, Taeyong and Ten across from them. The silent tension lingered in the room as they all ate silently. Taeyong would occasionally glance at Johnny and the other two would take note of it. Ten would caress Taeyong’s thigh under the table, making him slightly uneasy. 

“Oh Taeyong! I remember seeing your ring at work! Remember when I pointed it out? I can’t believe fate had it that I would meet your fiancé!” Jaehyun laughed. 

“Right? It’s insane. My loyal, loving fiancé is so lucky to have such a great job and companions,” Ten emphasized. 

Ten picked up a butter knife and aggressively cut into the slab of butter in the center of the table. Taeyong watched in horror as his fiancé started cutting straight into the dish and table cloth. Ten apologized and placed the knife’s tip dead in the center of the table. Johnny winced, he couldn’t believe how erratic Taeyong’s fiancé was acting. It made him worry for Taeyong’s safety. 

“Dinner was amazing, I could tell Taeyong cooked it. He seems like Mr. Perfect, doesn’t he?” Jaehyun cocked his head to the side. 

“Oh of course! I lucked out! My Taeyong does everything for me! He’s sweet, considerate, friendly, truthful, loyal, hardworking, and HAS SO MUCH INTEGRITY!” Ten raised his voice with a bit of edge. 

Taeyong was mentally panicking, wondering how the situation turned against him. It was like some type of psychological warfare. He was being guilted into confessing something, wasn’t he? No, no, he was overthinking for sure. Definitely overthinking. Ten couldn’t have known, Ten couldn’t act out of spite. 

He was broken out of his thoughts by Johnny slamming his hand down on the table. He had an angry look in his eyes. “Alright, come clean. What. Do. You. Know?” his words were strained. 

Yet all Jaehyun and Ten could do at the moment was laugh. 


	16. Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I think it’s time.”

[Flashback Cont.] 

Johnny had enough. His expression was between indifference and fury. Why did they keep laughing? What was so funny? He looked over at Taeyong, whose head was down in shame, guilt. 

     Johnny’s heart thumped harshly in his chest—Taeyong’s expression saddened him. Taeyong’s anxiety crept out and was apparent from his demeanor. In all honesty, the dread and pessimism overpowered any ounce of forced remorse he displayed. 

After the laughter died down, Ten held a composed state. “What do you mean? We don’t know anything. You’re making a big deal out of nothing,  _Youngho,”_ he  emphasized Johnny’s name with a bitterness in his tone. 

“Yeah, in fact, you’re the one that’s acting quite suspicious. Is there something you need to tell us?” Jaehyun inquired. 

Johnny’s eyes widened as he composed himself and took a seat. He was breathing to distract himself, shutting his eyes so he didn’t have anything to really focus on. Then, a smile crept on his face. His eyes slowly met Taeyong’s, who also felt a bit relieved with less tension in the room. 

“S-Sorry for my outburst. The atmosphere just felt a bit off, so I overreacted,” Johnny explained, his tone much more quiet. 

After that, the rest of the dinner went fairly normal. No one asked any strange questions; nothing was strained. Yet, Johnny couldn’t help but notice the strange smile that always managed to creep up on Ten’s face. Ten obviously knew more than he was leading on, however, for Taeyong’s sake, Johnny didn’t question it. 

     After another hour or so of small talk, Johnny and Jaehyun eventually left, hopeful for another day of all four of them enjoying each other’s company. 

Once their guests left, Ten immediately started clearing the table. He placed everything in the sink, keeping his eyes away from Taeyong. It was as if his mood switched on whim. 

“Tennie, a-are you alright?” Taeyong inquired. 

Ten flashed a fake smile and replied with a simple, “Obviously, I am. Why the fuck wouldn’t I be? I think dinner went great, I can’t wait to invite them again. But for the time being...” 

He smoothly wrapped his arms around Taeyong in a swift motion. Ten’s grip tightened on Taeyong’s waist as Taeyong’s breath hitched. He closed his eyes and let his fiancé’s hand roam slowly through the fabric of his thin t-shirt. Taeyong held back a moan as Ten’s fingers clenched over one of Taeyong’s soft nipples. His fingers slowly rubbed it in place and pinched down on one of them. Taeyong winced as his legs became slightly wobbly and could only hold himself up by grabbing Ten’s arm. 

      He wanted him to stop, but he just couldn’t bring himself up to speak. Ten’s tongue poked out and he licked around Taeyong’s neck. He sucked hard marks into his skin, searing it, biting it. Taeyong started lightly panting. 

“Ten, Ten please~I have work. This is going to be hard to cover up,” Taeyong pleaded. 

“I don’t care, let me do what I want. We’re fiancés after all,” Ten shrugged as his hand reached Taeyong’s dick. 

Hearing those words leave Ten’s mouth, Taeyong abruptly grabbed Ten’s hand and stopped him. They turned to face each other. A harsh glare was etched on Taeyong’s features. 

“Ten, how DARE you talk to me like that? Just because we’re fiancés doesn’t mean I’m always in the mood. When I say no, I mean it! You better listen to me!” Taeyong exclaimed, asserting his authority. 

Ten’s teeth clenched as his gaze darkened. He pushed Taeyong onto his knees; Taeyong’s first instinct was to panic. If truth be told, Ten somewhat terrified Taeyong when he was angry. He took Taeyong’s chin in between his fingers, and then forcefully made it so their gazes met. 

“I barely even did anything to you! What the fuck is your problem? Are you thinking of somebody else?” Ten’s voice was filled with poison and malice. 

“No! Why the hell would I think of someone else? You’re my fiancé! I just need to be alone for now...” Taeyong trailed off.

Ten immediately dropped what he was doing, walked towards their bedroom, and slammed the door shut. He didn’t say a word as it all went down. Taeyong winced, knowing he had to make up with Ten, but he kept his mind off of it. 

Meanwhile, Jaehyun and Johnny entered their apartment fairly silently. However, when the door closed, Johnny pushed Jaehyun against the wall. His eyes were filled with hate as his arms gripped Jaehyun’s shoulders tightly. 

“Jaehyun, that...what was that? I-I feel like you’re misleading me somehow. I know you’ve never properly seen Taeyong’s fiancé before, but I-“ 

“Let me stop you right there. I’m your best friend, why the hell would I lie to you? Everything was a coincidence, I simply met a guy and thought it would do us good to hang out. If I knew it was Taeyong and his fiancé, I wouldn’t have done anything,” Jaehyun innocently stated, even though the truth was he was just great at the game of manipulation. 

“Dinner felt strange. Like there was an aura coming from you and Ten. I felt suspicious, but I’m sorry for assuming otherwise about you,” Johnny sighed, releasing Jaehyun from his grip. 

“Johnny, I think you need to let Taeyong go. He’s happy with his fiancé, you saw...” Jaehyun pouted. 

Johnny whipped his head around and faced Jaehyun once again. “Never. I realized I can’t, I just can’t let him go. I don’t trust his fiancé, he seems to be conniving. I need to protect Taeyong in any way that I can! I won’t let him suffer there! Jaehyun, you can’t convince me otherwise,” Johnny firmly stated. 

Jaehyun furrowed his eyebrows and rolled his eyes. He immediately went into his bedroom and left Johnny alone to think. Jaehyun whipped out his phone and sent a quick text to Ten. 

Ten’s eyes turned to his phone when it dinged. He looked at the message notification right on his screen. 

**Jaehyun** **[11:30 pm]**

We need to get our shit together.

I think it’s time. 

**Author's Note:**

> This story has a lot to cover! I hope you enjoy this chapter and comment! There’s so many things to explain! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!


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